Seeing Stars
by Jason Ulloa
Summary: Darien's day went from bad to worse. Fired from his movie set job and dumped by Raye in one day. When he got a call from his agent about a new role as a supporting actor in a new movie, it looked good at first....
1. Prologue

Seeing Stars  
By Moonsong  
tsukinouta@yahoo.com  
Rating: PG  
  
  
Prologue  
  
Deep in the heart of Los Angeles, in a small district  
dubbed "Westwood" adjoining the university, sat a  
small, family-owned arcade and snack bar. The  
Cravens had owned the place for several years but it  
was only within the last five years or so had business  
really soared. This was due mainly to the sharp mind  
and quick wit of family's latest graduate, Andrew. He  
had added the café, negotiated contracts with video  
game companies, and eventually took over the whole  
business, leaving his overburdened father free to take  
that vacation he had always wanted. Now, "The Crown"  
was a well-established "hang-out" for students,  
teachers, and alumni alike.  
  
Darien Shields sat at a corner booth, gloomily nursing a  
soda. He and Andrew made it a point to meet here in  
the afternoons, or depending on Darien's production  
schedule, whenever he could make it. Since Andrew  
virtually lived in the upstairs office anyway, his friend  
hadn't minded.  
  
In fact, the handsome blond was walking towards the  
table at that very moment. He grew concerned when  
Darien didn't wave to greet his as he usually did. His  
friend was just sitting there staring into his soda.  
  
"Hey, Dare, why the long face?" He said, sliding into the  
booth across from him.  
  
Darien looked up. "Hey Andrew."  
  
"You don't look too good, buddy. What happened?"  
  
Darien sighed. 'More like what didn't happen.' "I got  
fired."  
  
Andrew let out a low whistle. "Hey, I'm sorry. Want to tell  
me about it?"  
  
"Miss high-and-mighty, I'm-the-best-actress-on-the-  
planet, Serena Moon." He spat. "I was bringing back a  
load of drinks from craft services [1]. One of the sound  
guys was stringing an audio cable across the floor and I  
tripped on it."  
  
"What does this have to do with Serena Moon?"  
  
"She was on her way back to the dressing room and I  
didn't see her standing there. Most of the drinks ended  
up on her."  
  
Andrew winced. "And she freaked?"  
  
"You could say that." Darien grimaced at the memory.  
Serena, standing there, water dripping from her designer  
dress, hair hanging limply, water puddling in around her  
feet...It hadn't been a pretty sight. "She started  
screaming and making a fuss and finally yelled to the  
producer that if he didn't get 'that thing,' meaning me, off  
the shoot, she was gonna walk."  
  
Andrew shook his head sympathetically. "So what are you  
going to do now? Does your agent have anything lined  
up?"  
  
"Not that she's told me." Darien turned away from him  
and started stirring his coke. The ice swirled in the sweet  
liquid, disappearing as they were drawn into the center of  
the miniature whirlpool he was creating. Sighing quietly,  
he wished his problems would melt away as easily as the  
ice.  
  
Andrew studied his friend, noting the sadness on the other  
man's face. Something else was bothering him. He took a  
deep breath and asked softly, "But that's not all, is it."  
  
It was more of a statement than a question. Darien shook  
his head and gazed into his drink. After a few moments,  
he whispered, "Raye left me."  
  
Andrew's eyes widened and he reached towards the other  
man to comfort him. "Dare, I..."  
  
Darien flinched away and leaned back into his seat. "Nah,  
don't worry about it. I saw it coming and truthfully, I didn't  
think it was going to work out with her anyway. It's just  
that coming down on top of everything else that's  
happened today..."  
  
Andrew stared at his friend sadly, not really knowing what  
to say. He hated seeing him like this. When they first  
met five years ago, he had sort of taken Darien under  
his wing. The young dark-haired boy had popped up in  
one of his classes, eyes wide and as unsure as a  
frightened rabbit. Andrew had introduced himself and the  
two had been friends ever since.  
  
Darien's cell phone rang, startling both of them. "Shields  
here." He muttered into the phone.  
  
"Dar-ien! Sweetheart!" The shrill voice caused both of  
them to wince.  
  
Darien held the phone away from his ear and answered.  
"Hey Mina, what's up?"  
  
"I know you're still on that P.A. [2] stint but I think you  
can drop it for this!"  
  
Darien perked up immediately. "What? What is it?"  
  
Mina laughed. "I got you a part in a movie!" She squealed  
excitedly.  
  
Darien was ecstatic. "Really? You got me a part?"  
  
"Yes," she teased. "They're expecting you at 6am tomorrow  
and they'll be using you for two whole weeks!"  
  
"Two weeks!" Darien exclaimed. He's never gotten a part  
that big before. Most of his previous assignments had  
been extra [3] work or one to two day shoots. Across the  
table, Andrew was grinning broadly.  
  
"Yep! Just think, by this time tomorrow, you'll be starring in  
a movie with the one and only Serena Moon!"  
  
Darien's stomach dropped to his feet as all his energy  
drained out of him. 'No, no, no, anyone but her!' his  
mind babbled frantically. "S-serena Moon?" He stuttered,  
praying he had heard wrong.  
  
But Mina kept babbling ecstatically. "Yeah! Isn't that just  
great?"  
  
'No.' Darien glanced over at Andrew whose face had taken  
on a similar shocked expression. "Uh, yeah. 6am  
tomorrow, right?"  
  
"Uh-huh. Oh, and don't forget to drop by my office before  
tonight to pick up your script. Gotta go doll, catch ya later!"  
  
The phone clicked off and Darien sat back in his seat,  
stunned.  
  
Andrew laughed nervously, "Well, at least you'll know one  
person on the set." He joked.  
  
Darien could only shake his head in disbelief.  
  
  
**********  
  
On to Chapter 1  
  
**********  
  
  
References:  
[1] Craft services - An array of snack foods and drinks  
provided to the cast and crew during a production shoot.  
[2] P.A. - Production Assistant  
[3] Extra - I'm fairly sure most of you know what extras  
are in a movie shoot but I wanted to clarify that this is  
« extra » work, as in actors who fill in the background for  
crowd scenes; not « extra » work as in excess tasks.  
  
  
Author's Note: Well? What do you think so far? Please let  
me know. This is my first real attempt at a Serena/Darien  
fic so comments, suggestions, and feedback would be very  
much appreciated. I'm also in the middle of a Fushigi Yuugi  
"monster fic" so I may not post the next chapters regularly.  
Although, if I get lots of requests for this one, I may be  
more inspired to continue it! (hint, hint ^_~)  
  
You can reach me at tsukinouta@yahoo.com or join the Fan  
Fiction Exchange at Yahoo to discuss this or any other fic  
including yours!  
http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/fanfictionexchange  
  
Disclaimer: All original materials belong to their  
respective owners. Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi and  
a bunch of big companies. No copyright infringement is intended.  
The story is mine and I would appreciate you emailing me for  
permission before posting it anywhere else.  
  
Copyright © January 24, 2000 Moonsong. All Rights Reserved.  



	2. Chapter 1

Seeing Stars  
By Jason Ulloa  
Original story by Moonsong  
Continued with her permission.  
  
  
Chapter 1  
  
"Serena Moon...," Darien moaned worriedly to himself  
while absently taking a sip from his previously forgotten  
soda. "I finally get a big part in a movie and who should  
I be working with but the one actress who hates my  
guts." He shook his head at the injustice life was currently  
handing him and sighed. "Something tells me that this is  
going to be a LONG two weeks... that is, if the high-and-  
mighty Ms. Moon doesn't demand that they bring in  
someone else to replace me."  
  
"Come on, Darien," Andrew said consolingly. "You don't  
really think it's gonna be THAT bad?"  
  
"No, I KNOW it's gonna be that bad," Darien replied  
fatalistically. "Maybe I should just stick with my P.A. job...."  
  
"No way!" Andrew exclaimed insistantly. "This is the  
opportunity that you've been waiting for! You can't just let  
this pass just 'cause you're afraid...."  
  
"Who says I'm afraid?" Darien retorted. "But, being fired  
from my first big job doesn't exactly appeal to me, ya know?"  
  
"Yeah, I guess so. But, you already agreed to it, Dare."  
  
"...." Darien finally realized that during his shocked stupor  
that he did mumble an agreement to work that job. 'Oh boy....'  
he thought to himself as he finished his soda and rose out of  
his seat. "Might as well get on with it."  
  
"Who knows, maybe this could even work out," Andrew called  
out to Darien as he left. "Serena could've even forgotten about  
the whole thing already."  
  
"If I'm lucky," Darien muttered as he reached the door. "Bye,  
Andrew. Thanks."  
  
"Sure thing, Darien. And good luck!"  
  
  
****************************  
  
Darien parked his car and trudged reluctantly into the building.  
He marched slowly up the stairs to the third floor - he really  
didn't feel like using the elevator - and down the hallway,  
stopping at one of the many office doors lining both sides of  
the hall. He glanced up at the glass window of the door, at the  
lettering lining the window.  
  
Mina Blake. His agent. He could see her through the glass. Her  
blonde hair was held back with her usual red bow, and she was  
dressed in this gorgeous yellow pinstriped suit with a similar  
yellow dress skirt. Her shoes were a dark red with small heels.  
She was chewing on the tip of one of her pens, which was a little  
habit of hers when she was waiting for someone. He steeled his  
resolve and knocked on the door.  
  
"Oh, coming!" Mina answered and headed toward the door.  
"Darien! Sweetheart!" she exclaimed excitedly and rushed him  
into the office. "Have a seat!" she said and all but shoved him  
into the chair in front of her desk, then took a seat at her own  
desk.  
  
Darien wondered to himself - and not for the first time - how she  
could be so... hyper all the time. It was like she was on a  
permanent sugar rush; she seemed full of excess energy and  
showed it in the way she rushed about and the way she would  
get overexcited at finding possible work for him. On the other hand,  
she was one of the best when it came to finding work for him; this  
new job with Serena Moon notwithstanding.  
  
"Here ya go, Babe," Mina replied, pushing the movie script across  
her desk toward him. "I've highlighted your part."  
  
He turned the script around, since it was currently upside-down to  
him, and read the title. Total Eclipse. 'Sounds like....'  
  
"In case you're wondering, it's an secret agent/action flick," she  
explained. "Kinda like those movies of that Bond dude, except the  
roles are reversed. The girl's the main character and the guy's the  
one who she rescues, then falls for her. Heh, you're gonna be like  
a Bond girl." With that, Mina started cracking up, while Darien just  
gave a polite, reserved laugh.  
  
"So, I'm a supporting actor?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. 'From  
an extra to a supporting actor? Woah, she's GOOD.'  
  
Mina slowly regained her composure and nodded. "Yeah. The shoot  
starts tomorrow at 6 a.m., like I told you. The director and producer  
both thought you'd be good for the part, especially after looking at  
the photos of you I gave them. They said you looked like the man  
they were looking for: tall, dark, and handsome." She gave him a  
little wink. "You'll be reporting to the director. What was her name  
again? Oh, yeah! Amy Anderson!"  
  
"Anderson?" Darien asked. "I've heard of her. She's one of the  
newest directors in the field and I heard she's already directed  
3 blockbuster movies. I also heard that one of them is likely  
going to win her an Oscar for Best Director."  
  
"Yep, that's her. She's now working on this movie and she says  
that you match what she wants for this part."  
  
He looked down at the script in his hands. 'I'm going to be a  
supporting actor in a movie directed by Amy Anderson? My career  
is definitely taking off.... That is, if Serena Moon doesn't try to get  
me fired first....'  
  
"Okay, I think that pretty much covers everything," Mina said,  
smiling. "You only have to worry about the lines I've highlighted.  
Knowing you, you should have the first five pages memorized by  
the end of the day." She rose from her desk as Darien got to his  
feet and walked with him to her office door. "Oh, and one more  
thing," she said as she opened the door for him, "I've heard that  
Amy has been known to rearrange a script to suit how she thinks  
the movie should be. If she likes your work, she may try to keep  
you for the entire movie instead of just the two weeks. If you're  
lucky, this job could last for months! Good luck, Darien, sweetie!  
I'll be hoping for good news!" With that, she closed the door to her  
office, leaving him to stare after her in complete shock.  
  
'Months....? With Serena Moon?!? This is going to be a  
looooooooong movie shoot....'  
  
****************************  
  
To Chapter 2  
  
****************************  
  
Author's Note: And so it begins. I know it's short, but this  
might take a while for me to finish, since I've got my own  
SM epic to work on, The Earth Scout Chronicles. This was  
originally Moonsong's idea, but she's busy with her Fushigi  
Yuugi fic, so she left it to me to finish. I figure I can work on  
this between the chapters of my own fic.  
  
You can reach Moonsong at tsukinouta@yahoo.com or join  
the Fan Fiction Exchange at Yahoo to discuss this or any  
other fic including yours!  
http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/fanfictionexchange  
Also, you can reach me at jasonulloa@hotmail.com to discuss  
this or my other SM epic, Sailor Moon: Alternate Reality - The  
Earth Scout Chronicles. The epic can be found at:  
http://www.geocities.com/jasonulloa/index.html  
Please sign my guestbook while you're there. I'd appreciate it  
greatly.  
  
Disclaimer: All original materials belong to their respective owners.  
Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi and a bunch of big  
companies. No copyright infringement is intended. The story  
belongs to Moonsong and myself and I would appreciate you  
emailing her or myself for permission before posting it anywhere  
else. Thank you.  
  
Prologue Copyright © January 24, 2000 Moonsong.  
Other Chapters Copyright © August 12, 2000 Jason Ulloa.  
All Rights Reserved.  



	3. Chapter 2

Seeing Stars  
By Jason Ulloa  
Original story by Moonsong  
Continued with her permission.  
  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Darien drove back to his apartment with his car radio   
blasting full force, in hopes that it would cause him to   
forget all about his uneasiness over beginning tomorrow's   
shoot. 'Maybe Andrew's right,' he repeatedly thought to   
himself. 'Maybe Serena will have forgotten all about the   
drink incident by the time I start tomorrow.' But, as he   
came closer to home, his doubts and apprehensions began   
to haunt him again.  
  
He parked his car in the parking lot of the apartment complex   
where he lived. He quickly slipped on a steering wheel lock   
and climbed out of the car. During the first month since he   
first moved into these apartments, his car had been broken   
into and was quickly hot-wired and taken for a 'joyride'.   
Luckily, the drunken theives were caught before too much   
damage had been done, but since then he decided not to   
take any chances with his car being stolen again. He locked   
all the doors and headed over to his apartment.  
  
It was a simple studio apartment; one large room, one   
bathroom, and the kitchen. The apartment came furnished,   
so he didn't have to worry about furniture. The kitchen was   
tiny and so was the bathroom. The bedroom wasn't that much   
bigger, either. In fact, the bed was the kind that doubled as a   
couch to save space. Yeah, there's no place like home.  
  
Darien tiredly tossed the script onto the small round table and   
walked into the bathroom, which was also where his closet   
was. He changed out of the clothes he was wearing and into a   
light T-shirt and shorts. He then left the bathroom and headed   
over to the couch/bed, grabbing the script on the way, and sat   
down, sprawling out all over the couch. He stared at the script   
again, or rather the front page of the script.  
  
"Total Eclipse, huh?" he said to himself and flipped the pages   
until he reached the part where his character came in. "So,   
my character's name is Jack Terrance. Let's see...." He   
skimmed forward a few lines. "Hmm... He's a private detective   
who begins to stumble into whatever the evil plot is and ends   
up with some valuable info which leads him to become a target.   
Cliché sounding, but then again, with Amy Anderson working on   
this project, this'll be a new twist on the cliché. As if switching   
the gender roles wasn't enough," he added with a grin.  
  
As he read on, the plot began to get more and more interesting.   
He was only meant to be a minor supporting actor and Serena   
was meant to do most of the final parts alone, but he could see   
where, with a little rewriting, his character could be fitted in as a   
partner instead of just set off-screen until the ending scenes of   
the movie. Despite his apprehension towards working closely with   
Serena, he found himself looking forward to playing the role. At   
least, most of the first few scenes were by himself.  
  
Darien spent most of the night, reviewing his role and memorizing   
his lines. Afterwards, he began to act out his scenes all the way   
up to where he first meets Serena's character. He found it was   
easy to fall into character, and he could almost imagine that he   
was Jack Terrance. After he decided to stop for the night and go   
to bed, the last thought that he had before falling asleep was that   
he was definitely going to enjoy playing this role.  
  
**************************************  
  
The alarm clock blared at around 5am for at least 2 minutes before   
Darien smacked it with his pillow, silencing the stupid thing. For a   
few seconds, he forgot why he had set it for so early. He had never   
needed to get up this early before....  
  
The movie shoot!  
  
He threw the blanket aside and all but leaped into the shower. A   
short time later, he was out, dried, dressed and flew out the door   
with his script. He returned one minute later, after having realized   
that he had left his car keys on the table, and walked out the door   
in furious indignation.  
  
It was around 5:50am when he arrived on the set. He had stopped   
briefly for a quick bite to eat at a fast-food restaurant and was   
ready to begin his first day of acting. Now, where was he   
supposed to go...?  
  
"Excuse me," he called out to the security officer standing at his   
gate post from his car and showed him his license for an ID and   
his script. "Do you know where they're shooting this movie?"  
  
"Oh, yeah," he replied, nodding after he had checked for Darien's   
name on his list of names for authorized entry. "Let me call ahead   
to Ms. Anderson, and I'll tell her you're here. Just go straight down   
this street here and turn left at the second stop sign. Turn right at   
the second stop sign after that and it'll be the first building on your   
right. That's building number...," he briefly glanced down at the map   
next to him, "...number 46. Don't forget to have the producer give   
you a studio ID. I can't let you in next time without it. Have a nice   
day."  
  
"Thanks," Darien said and drove onward after the security officer   
raised the gate. The trip was a short one and someone was   
waiting for him outside when he got there. The man was kind of   
geeky-looking, right down to the huge coke-bottle glasses  
  
"You're right on time," the man told him, reaching out to shake   
his hand. "That's good; a rare thing in most actors. Well, you're   
just starting, so you've got a while to go before you become   
arrogant and lazy as well, eh?" The man started to laugh at his   
own joke as Darien just shook the man's hand and said nothing.   
The guy was just trying to make small talk and doing a horrible   
job at it. Since it was his first real acting job, he figured he'd   
better find out who to ignore and who to put up with. Hopefully,   
this guy could go on his 'ignore' list....  
  
"Anyway, Miss Anderson is waiting for you inside," the man   
continued and turned toward the building. "Oh, I forgot to   
introduce myself," he said, pausing for a moment, reaching   
into his shirt pocket. "I'm the producer for this movie: Melvin   
Van Holst. I'm supposed to give you this." Melvin handed   
Darien a small ID card with Darien's name on it. "This is a   
temporary ID until a photo ID can be made. That's why I   
had you come so early. That and Miss Anderson wanted to   
talk with you before the rest of the cast arrives."  
  
Darien blinked in surprise. 'So much for being able to ignore   
him...' "Oh, okay," he said, pocketing his ID as he followed   
Melvin into the building. The producer led him through several   
hallways, stairways, and doors until they reached a set of   
double doors on the second floor. Melvin gestured for Darien   
to proceed him, and followed him in.  
  
"Hello, Mr. Shields," a blue-haired young woman greeted   
seriously from the head of a long boardroom table. "Please,   
come in and have a seat." She gestured for him to take the   
seat to her right. Darien took the proffered seat as Melvin   
took the one across from him.  
  
"Thank you for choosing me for this role, Miss Anderson,"   
Darien began. "I'm flattered that you...."  
  
"Mr. Shields," Amy cut in, giving him an intent look, "do you   
know why Mr. Van Holst and I chose you for this role?"  
  
"Uh...," Darien faltered. "Um... my agent told me that you   
thought I looked the part of Jack Terrance. Is there another   
reason?"  
  
Amy grinned in amusement. "You think you got the part   
because of your looks? If that was it, then I would've chosen   
a more experienced actor with similar features." She gave   
him a flat look. "There are actors who fit my mental picture   
of Jack Terrance better than you."  
  
"I see," Darien said quietly, humbled slightly by Amy's cold   
words. "If you don't mind, Miss Anderson, why did you hire   
me?"  
  
Amy grinned again, this time her smile took on a friendly tone.   
"There are a couple of reasons, Darien," she explained, "your   
features being one of them. You see, I heard about the drink   
incident you had with Serena Moon...," she laughed softly as   
she heard him groan in embarrassment at the reminder,   
"...from Melvin, who was a producer of that movie as well."  
  
'I don't remember seeing very much of him at the last set I  
worked at,' Darien puzzled to himself. 'I guess that was   
because I was only worried about reporting to that one   
other producer, Molly... something. What was her last name   
again?'  
  
"I saw the whole thing," Melvin added. "I remember feeling   
sorry for you for being fired at Serena's demand. It wasn't   
your fault. An accident like that could happen to anyone."  
  
"You hired me out of PITY?!?" Darien exclaimed indignantly.  
  
"No, no, no," Melvin replied quickly. "Don't jump to conclusions!   
We haven't finished yet. Well, when Miss Blake sent us your   
picture per our request for the role of Jack Terrance, I instantly   
recognized you from that incident."  
  
"That's when Mr. Van Holst told me about your little... mishap,"   
Amy continued. "I asked Miss Blake about your acting history   
and learned that you had mostly extra work. No real acting   
experience, but from what I've heard from her, your work as   
an extra was pretty good."  
  
"At the time we were reviewing the possibilities for the role,   
Serena came up to us and complained, for the fifth time,   
about the other actors she was working with," Melvin added.   
"She said, and I quote, 'The extras could act better than they   
can!'." He grinned widely. "What she said stuck in our minds   
as we looked at your photo."  
  
Darien couldn't help but grin as well. "So, you found an extra   
to play a part opposite to her. But, still," he asked, still puzzled,   
"why me?"  
  
"The whole crew is growing tired of Serena Moon's arrogance,"   
Amy explained. "Melvin and I decided that we needed to do   
something about it. Miss Moon has a contract with us to   
complete the entire movie. Until then, we cannot fire her, nor   
can she quit, at least, not without serious consequences. So,   
we decided that we would have her play opposite an extra, a   
nobody; no offense meant, Darien."  
  
"None taken," Darien replied. "But, let me get this straight: you   
chose me because I was most likely to piss Serena Moon off   
if she was forced to work with me?"  
  
"To be honest, that was only one of the reasons," Amy replied   
seriously. "But, you have done good work in the past, and I   
believe that, given the chance, some extras could perform just   
as good as any movie star, even Serena Moon. I'm giving you   
that chance. It would even be a bonus to us if your acting skills   
are just as good as Miss Blake says that they are." Amy grinned   
again. "That would really show Miss Moon, and I could begin to   
rewrite some of the script to include you in more of the movie."  
  
Darien smiled in relief, while silently doing seven different   
dances of joy inside. According to what he could understand   
from Amy, there was no way that Serena could force them to   
fire him if they didn't want to. His role was also going to depend   
on his performance. If his acting was up to Amy Anderson's   
standards, then his role could be extended and expanded to   
encompass a good portion of the movie. That would REALLY   
boost his career.  
  
Then again, there was still Serena Moon to deal with. If she   
was still upset at him with the drink incident, then she would   
probably try to make his life a living hell as long as he was   
here.  
  
"Well," Darien said quietly, "as long as Serena can't get me   
fired, I'm okay."  
  
"Great," Amy and Melvin said, pleased at his decision. "Now,"   
Amy continued, standing up from her seat, which prompted both   
guys to stand up as well, "I'll have someone show you around   
the set and we'll get started at around 7:30. It was nice to meet   
you, Darien. Hopefully, this will work out for all of us."  
  
Darien nodded, wondering how hiring an extra to play opposite   
a big star like Serena Moon was going to help Amy and Melvin   
with their problems with the high-and-mighty actress. He turned   
and left the room, pondering the problem as a young woman   
began to escort him around the set. After the short tour, ending   
on the set behind all the cameras, near craft services. He hadn't   
eaten anything since that small breakfast sandwhich and coffee   
this morning and he went to get himself something to eat. At   
around 7:15, a blonde woman haughtily walked onto the set,   
flipping back her long, almost knee-length hair away from her   
shoulders. Upon spotting Darien at craft services, her beautiful,   
elegant features took on an angry scowl as she pointed an   
accusing finger at him.  
  
"YOU!!!" she screamed fiercely.  
  
"Uh-oh...," Darien muttered apprehensively.  
  
****************************************  
  
To Chapter 3  
  
****************************************  
  
Author's Note: Ah, it's longer this time! ^_^ Anyway, the   
inevitable reunion of Darien Shields and Serena Moon   
has begun, and Serena is NOT happy to see him. What's   
gonna happen between them when she finds out she's   
stuck with him? *shrugs* I don't know, I haven't gotten that   
far yet. Oh, well... I guess we'll find out soon enough....  
  
Disclaimer: All original materials belong to their respective   
owners. Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi and a bunch   
of big companies. No copyright infringement is intended. This   
story belongs to Moonsong and myself, and I would appreciate   
you emailing her or myself for permission before posting it   
anywhere else. Thank you.  
  
Prologue Copyright © January 24, 2000 Moonsong.  
Other Chapters Copyright © August 12, 2000 Jason Ulloa.   
All Rights Reserved. 


	4. Chapter 3

Seeing Stars  
By Jason Ulloa  
Original story by Moonsong  
Continued with her permission.  
  
  
Chapter 3  
  
"YOU!!!" Serena screamed again, her fierce glare   
homing in on Darien like a heat-seeking missile. "What   
in the HELL are YOU doing here?!?"  
  
Darien slowly backed away from Serena until he bumped   
into the table behind him. "Uh... um...," he stammered   
nervously, trying desperately to think of anything to calm   
the raging actress down.  
  
"How dare you show your face anywhere near me after   
what you pulled the last time!" she fumed heatedly, walking   
up to him and poking him rudely in the chest. "I still haven't   
forgotten what you did to my favorite designer dress! Do   
you have any idea what that dress cost me to clean? Do   
you?!?"  
  
"No...," he murmured meekly. "Not really...."  
  
"I don't see how anybody in their right minds could let a   
bumbling oaf like you anywhere near a table full of   
refreshments - where an idiot like you could spill them all over   
the place and most likely on me - let alone a movie set! In fact,   
I don't think you should be allowed on one anyways, as long   
as I'm here. You there!" she ordered, turning towards a random   
worker. "Go get Van Holst! I need to speak with him concerning   
the choice of staff he has picked." The man grumbled under his   
breath as he went to get the producer, knowing that she would   
mostly likely chew him out as well if he didn't go right now.   
Serena Moon was infamous for her tirades.  
  
"Um, Miss Moon...," Darien tried to cut in, but was silenced by   
Serena shoving a hand in front of his face.  
  
"Don't you even speak to me!" she growled angrily as she   
watched for Melvin to show up.  
  
'Geez,' Darien thought to himself, 'when she holds a grudge,   
she REALLY holds a grudge....' "Really, there's something   
that I must tell...."  
  
"I said, SHUT UP!!!" she barked loudly, as she whirled around   
to glare balefully at him. "Not another word, you worthless   
piece of sh...."  
  
"What is it you want now, Ms. Moon?" Melvin interrupted   
tiredly as he walked through the crowd that had gathered to   
listen to Serena chew out yet another person, followed by Amy.   
She had a neutral expression on her face, but there was an   
anxious gleam in her eyes, as if she was looking forward to   
something....  
  
"I don't know what must've been going through your mind when   
you hired this...," she complained, waving her right hand in his   
direction in distaste, as if he was some disgusting piece of   
trash, "this... THING, but I want him off the set as of five minutes   
ago! I do NOT want to work anywhere near this walking disaster   
area! In fact, someone get security to escort him off the studio   
property right now! Well?" she demanded when neither Melvin,   
nor Amy, made a move to follow her demands. "Get rid of this   
loser! Now!!!"  
  
"Miss Moon," Darien tried again, "if you would just let me   
explain...."  
  
"Explain what?" Serena snapped. "Your incompetence? Your   
incoordination? Your inability to do ANYTHING right?"  
  
"Now, Miss Moon," Amy said quietly, "we have hired Mr. Shields   
to play a certain part for us...."  
  
"Him?" Serena scoffed scornfully, glaring at Darien. "Act? Now   
you're trying to be an actor? Now aren't we overstepping   
ourselves? Since when has a gofer like you become an actor?"  
  
Darien frowed at the 'gofer' crack. He was merely bringing the   
tray of drinks as a favor to the others he had been working with   
that day. He had asked them if they wanted anything while he   
was going to craft services, since he was heading there   
anyway. In no way was that any reason to label him a gofer.   
"Wait a minute...," he began, but was cut off when Melvin shook   
his head at him and gestured for him to keep quiet. Darien   
reluctantly held his peace.  
  
"As I was saying," Amy began again, more firmly this time. "We   
have hired Mr. Shields to play a certain part for us. We do not   
have to fire him just at your whimsy. He is contracted to work   
with us for two weeks, at the least."  
  
Serena scowled angrily. "Two weeks?!? You mean, I have to   
put up with this overrated excuse for an extra for two weeks?!?"   
she exclaimed, then sighed dramatically. "Well, as long as he's   
not in any of MY scenes, then I can probably stand it. Wait...,"   
she said after a short, thoughtful pause. "Two weeks? Why   
would you need an extra for two we...." She paused as gave   
him a considering glance, then suddenly turned completely red   
with fury as she slowly backed away from Amy and Melvin.   
"You didn't. You couldn't! How DARE you do this to me!!!"  
  
"You said that extras could act better than some of the actors   
you're working with now," Amy said sweetly. "So, we followed   
your advice and hired an extra to play the part of Jack Terrance."   
She grinned as she and Melvin gestured toward Darien.  
  
"Meet the actor that will be playing Jack Terrance," Melvin   
added. "Darien Shields."  
  
"Um...," Darien murmured nervously, "I don't think that   
introductions are really necessary...."  
  
"So, I'm stuck with you for two whole weeks?" Serena   
grumbled and she frowned at Darien.  
  
"Yeah, I'm afraid so...."  
  
"You should be afraid, Shields," she growled. "If it wasn't for   
the fact that I'm contracted for this movie, I would've just   
walked. You, on the hand, are only here because they-" she   
pointed toward Amy and Melvin, "-want you here. Otherwise,   
your ass would've been outta here.  
  
"Enjoy your brief little 'acting' stint," she said threateningly   
as she turned and started to walk away. "If I had my way, not   
only would you be off this set and on your ass before the order   
had finished leaving my mouth, but you would never be able to   
get another job that has anything to do the movies, nor anything   
remotely close, like working in a video store.  
  
"One thing certain, though. I will do everything I can to make   
your two weeks here a living HELL. Count on it. I'm going to my   
trailer. I'll be ready for the first scene by 8:30, so nobody had   
better bother me until then." With that, she opened the door to   
the studio building and left, slamming the door behind her.  
  
"Well, that went well," Darien muttered sardonically. "I can hardly   
wait to start working with her."  
  
"Now, Darien, I hardly think that it's going to be as bad as you   
think," Amy consoled.  
  
"Yeah," Melvin added. "If you just steer clear of her during the   
time that you two are not acting together, then there's nothing   
to worry about. She can't make us fire you, and she can't quit.   
Everything'll work out fine."  
  
"Sure, fine for you two," Darien muttered skeptically.  
  
"Well, as long as Serena isn't here, you might as well take some   
time to go over the script again," Amy told him. "I won't be needing   
you right away, so you can take the time to finish reading the   
entire script. I know I didn't give you much time to look it over,   
seeing how I sent your agent the script only yesterday."  
  
"Well, I did get through only part of the script last night," Darien   
admitted. "I spent most of the time memorizing most of the lines   
in the first scene."  
  
"Good," Melvin said, grinning. "Well, I have some things that need   
my attending to, so I'll be off. Just be sure to watch for any audio   
cables that might be lying about." He walked away, chuckling to   
himself at his own joke.  
  
"I haven't the heart to tell him how bad his jokes are," Amy said   
tiredly. Darien nodded quietly in agreement. "Anyway, you've got   
about a half-hour until Serena's ready for the first scene, so you   
might as well skim through the script while you have some peace."  
  
"Okay, Ms. Anderson," he replied and went to go pick up his   
script from where he left it.  
  
"Darien...," Amy called out to him.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"You can just call me Amy," she told him. "And you can refer to   
Melvin by his first name as well. I assure you, we don't mind."  
  
"Thank you, Amy," he replied with a small grin and turned to   
go pick up his script.  
  
**********************************************  
  
"Hmm...," Darien murmured thoughtfully as he turned another   
page of the script. He was now more than halfway through   
the script and he was thouroughly enjoying it. This could   
probably make a great novel if it wasn't being made into a   
movie first. Novels were always better than the movies, at   
least, he had always thought so.  
  
As soon as he turned the next page, his jaw almost dropped   
in shock. In that scene, he and Serena were.... 'Oh my.... I   
was wondering why she was giving me that look earlier. But,   
from her expression, she didn't seem to be totally against that   
part of working with me.'  
  
He sighed as he glanced toward the clock. 8:25. Five minutes   
left. Well, since he wasn't needed yet, he might as well read   
on. He reached over to his left, grabbed the cup of coffee   
beside him and took a small sip, then continued to read.  
  
**********************************************  
  
"Where is he?" Serena demanded haughtily.  
  
"He's over there, looking over the script and trying to catch   
up with where we're at in the plot," Amy replied, pointing in   
Darien's direction. He was on the other side of the set,   
sipping some coffee and reading the script. The chair was   
tilted back against the wall and resting on only two legs....  
  
"That should take him all day," Serena remarked snidely,   
then smiled devilishly. "Maybe I should go see how he's   
doing...." She walked silently toward him, trying carefully to   
not be heard. Since Darien was intent on the script in front   
of him, he never heard Serena approach. She waited until   
he lifted the cup of coffee and took another sip....  
  
"Hey, Shields!" she shouted as she kicked the leg of the   
chair Darien was sitting in, causing the chair to collapse   
from under him. The coffee ended up all over Darien's shirt   
and face as he landed face-up on the ground, the chair lying   
on its side beside him. Luckily, the script remained dry.  
  
"AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!" Darien roared, as the coffee was still   
hot. He frantically got to his knees and pulled his shirt off   
over his head and quickly wiped the rest of the coffee off   
him with the dry parts of his shirt.  
  
"Oh, I'm so sorry," Serena said in mock contrition. "I didn't   
know that the coffee was still hot. Anyways," she continued   
in a serious tone, "I've been thinking. You'd better pay   
attention, Shields, 'cause I'm only gonna say this once. If   
you're gonna play opposite of me, then you'd better be good.   
I've only put up with those other poor excuses for actors   
because they aren't that important.  
  
"However, your part is important. If you screw up, then I'll   
look bad. And I HATE to look bad. You must have some   
meager acting skill if Anderson chose you to take this part.   
If you manage to actually do a decent job, which I doubt, then   
I may find it in my heart to consider forgiving you for that drink   
incident. Are we clear on that, Shields?"  
  
"Crystal," he replied, getting to his feet.  
  
"Good," she said, nodding in satisfaction. "One more thing: I   
told you that I hate to look bad. If your acting sucks so much,   
that I look bad, then I'll REALLY make your life a living hell.   
Got it?"  
  
"Got it."  
  
"Very well, then." She paused as she looked over Darien's   
bare chest at the very well defined muscles across his chest   
and grinned slightly. "Now go put something on," she told him   
off-handedly as she turned back toward where she had came   
from. "You're distracting me."  
  
Darien blinked in surprise as he realized that he was just   
standing around with no shirt on. Most of the female crew   
had paused in their work and were now staring at him in   
fascination. Even some of the married women had stopped   
to stare. With a sheepish grin, Darien quickly gathered up his   
script and hurried out towards wardrobe to get something to   
wear while he got his shirt cleaned.  
  
"Was that really necessary?" Amy asked Serena as she   
walked out in front of the cameras.  
  
"What?" Serena asked, an innocent, confused expression   
on her face. "I don't know what you're talking about."  
  
Amy sighed in vexation. 'This is going to be a very long   
shoot....'  
  
**********************************************  
  
To Chapter 4  
  
**********************************************  
  
Author's Note: Grab some popcorn and take a seat, 'cause   
next chapter, you're going behind the scenes of the making   
of 'Total Eclipse'. How will Darien fare? Will his acting   
impress Serena? Or, will he suck? Wait and see!  
  
Disclaimer: All original materials belong to their respective   
owners. Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi and a bunch   
of big companies. No copyright infringement is intended. This   
story belongs to Moonsong and myself, and I would appreciate   
you emailing her or myself for permission before posting it   
anywhere else. Thank you.  
  
Prologue Copyright © January 24, 2000 Moonsong.  
Other Chapters Copyright © August 12, 2000 Jason Ulloa.   
All Rights Reserved. 


	5. Chapter 4

Seeing Stars  
By Jason Ulloa  
Original story by Moonsong  
Continued with her permission.  
  
  
Chapter 4  
  
'Well, I guess whoever said "Hell hath no fury like a   
woman scorned" wasn't kidding,' Darien thought as he   
looked through various articles of clothing for something   
to wear. 'Maybe that person had Serena specifically in   
mind.'  
  
He grabbed a white shirt and slipped in on. There were no   
buttons on the shirt, nor button holes, but at least it was   
something. Maybe if he had a white T-shirt to wear under it....  
  
After a few minutes of searching, he found what he was   
looking for. It fit a little snuggly, but not too tightly. He slipped   
the vest-like shirt over it and walked over to a nearby mirror to   
see how he looked.  
  
The close-fitting T-shirt nicely showed off his slighty muscular   
form, only slighty covered by the vest-shirt. 'Not bad,' he thought   
vainly to himself. 'I wonder if I can borrow these later.'  
  
He turned around and glanced back at the script he tossed onto   
the table. 'Since I won't be needed right now, I guess I can   
continue reading up on the script....' He walked over to the table   
and took a seat, then flipped open the script....  
  
**********************************************  
  
Total Eclipse  
  
Los Angeles - 1998  
  
"Sir, the report just came in from R & D," a young man told the   
man seated at the end of the long table. The long conference   
table sat in the middle of the office, surrounded by the   
occasional house plant and inexpensive artwork on the wall.   
The long blinds were partway open, allowing just enough light   
to see, but not enough to see who was sitting at the end of the   
table. Not that any of this mattered to the young man. He was   
just a newly hired assistant; he only knew what his superiors   
told him and followed their orders. Besides, the only thing he   
cared about was getting his bimonthly check on time.  
  
"Very well," the man replied. "Leave it on the table and go."  
  
"Yes, sir," the young man replied, placed the report on the edge   
of the table, and left.  
  
As soon as the young man left, the man stood and walked   
toward the end of table and picked up the report. He leafed   
through the report and paused on a page in the middle. A small,   
dark grin slides across his face as he reads the info.  
  
"Excellent," he murmured quietly. "Everything is on schedule.   
Now, for the next step."  
  
He walked over to the other end of the table again and   
pressed a button on the small box sitting on the table. After a   
short pause, a female voice answered.  
  
"Yes, Mr. S?"  
  
Mr. S sighed as he sat down. He hated that nickname. He   
wished that he could just fire her for that reason, but she'd   
probably turn around and sue him for unlawful termination. He   
kept reminding her that he prefered to be called by his full   
last name, but she was just so... ditzy, that she kept forgetting...   
or, at least that was her excuse. Nowadays, he had just given   
up on reminding her.  
  
"I need you to send a memo to the production department. I   
am giving them the authorization to begin satellite production."  
  
"Anything else, Mr. S?"  
  
"No, that will be it."  
  
"All right, I'll get right on it."  
  
"Yes, you do just that," Mr. S said and turned off the intercom.   
He turned his chair toward the window as he leaned back in his   
chair. The dark smile returned as he stared out the window, his   
thoughts on his plans for the future....  
  
**********************************************  
  
A knock at the door interrupted Darien's reading. "Mr. Shields,"   
a voice called, "Miss Anderson wishes to see you when you're   
finished."  
  
"I'll be right there," Darien replied as he walked toward the door.  
  
"Darien, are you all right?" Amy asked as he joined Amy and   
Serena.  
  
"I'm okay," he told her. "Minor third-degree burns, injured pride,   
a bit humiliated, but okay."  
  
"Well, as long as it's nothing serious," Serena said flatly. "Anyway,   
Shields, what I wanna know is how far did you get in the script?"  
  
"Before you spilled my coffee on me?"  
  
"I did NO such thing!" she snapped angrily. "You spilled it on   
yourself. I never even touched your coffee."  
  
"Never mind," he sighed frustratedly. "I've gotten all the way   
through to the end of the first scene between Jack and his client."  
  
"That far?" she asked with mild surprise. "So, you're a quick   
study after all. Anyway, we're going to be working on my   
beginning scenes again." Several groans were heard from   
behind them as she said this. "Oh, shut up! I've discussed this   
with Miss Anderson and she agrees that those scenes could've   
been done a little better. Quit your bellyaching! If anyone has a   
right to complain, it's me! It's not my fault that everyone else   
needs 86 takes just to get one scene right."  
  
Amy just sighed and told everyone involved to take their   
places. "Okay, everyone, scene two! Ready? Action!"  
  
Darien took a seat and settled himself in to watch....  
  
**********************************************  
  
Present Day  
  
A young blonde woman walked into one of the numerous banks   
in Los Angels only to find it packed. She looked from one line to   
the next seeing only lines stretched several feet long.  
  
"Great," she muttered irritably, "they just HAVE to come right   
when I need to make a deposit." She angrily flipped back some   
of her long hair and strode toward the line furthest to the right.  
  
Some time later, when the woman had FINALLY made it to the   
teller and began conducting her business, three masked guys   
burst into the bank with guns drawn, demanding the usual   
all-your-money thing. 'How cliché,' the woman thought as she   
ducked out of sight and reached into her purse, taking out an   
object and slipping into the back pocket of her jeans, then   
slipped back into view with the rest of the scared bank patrons.  
  
The first two guys were busy up front, one using an electronic   
lockpicking device on the electronic lock to get back into the   
area where the tellers worked. The third guy was watching the   
hostages.  
  
As soon as the second guy broke through the lock, the two   
guys burst through the door. The first guy rushed up to the   
tellers demanding that they join the other hostages, while the   
second guy went back to where the vault was. As soon as   
the tellers joined the other hostages, the first guy went to join   
the second.  
  
After a few minutes passed, the woman could hear the sounds   
of police sirens outside. She glanced at the teller sitting next   
to her and nudged her slighty. When the teller looked at her,   
she nodded her hean toward the outside, silently asking if he   
had notified the police with that gesture. He silently nodded as   
he kept his eyes on the guy watching them.  
  
The woman could tell that the guy watching them was growing   
nervous. He was looking toward the vault every few seconds   
and starting to pace, muttering about how the others were   
taking too long.  
  
The police were now demanding the surrender of the three   
masked robbers. The blonde woman waited for the guy   
watching them to turn his gaze toward the outside, then slowly   
scooted closer while watching for any sign that he noticed her   
approaching. He was apparently to preoccupied to notice. She   
silently got to her feet and stealthfully inched closer as she   
reached behind her back.  
  
In one fluid motion, she rushed at the man and wrapped her   
arm around his neck while jamming the object in her hand next   
to his head. The man just out a short cry, then shut up as he   
realized exactly what was being held to his head.  
  
When the woman heard the sound of running footsteps, she   
spun around, putting the man between the other masked guys.  
  
"Look, guys," she said in a tired, annoyed voice, "I've had a   
long day. I've been running here and there all day doing   
errands. I just wanted to make a deposit and you guys had   
to go and rob the place!"  
  
"She's got a gun!" the captive guy yelped frantically.  
  
"I can see that, you idiot!" the second guy shouted back.  
  
"Where the hell did she get it from?" the first guy demanded   
angrily. "You were supposed to be watching them!"  
  
"Let me ask you this," the woman said calmly as she yanked   
the gun out of the guy's hand with her free hand. "Exactly   
how do you plan on escaping? There's police all over the   
place. I have your friend and his gun.  
  
"If you're planning on shooting me, then just remember that I   
can use your friend as a shield. I'll still be alive, while your   
friend will be dead and you two will be charged with murder,   
as well as robbery. If you're planning on shooting the   
hostages, then I'll just shoot you both before you do."  
  
The woman could see that the two men were losing their   
nerves as they realized how bad their situation was. She   
used that opportunity to move closer, forcing her human   
shield to go with her. As she moved closer, she could see   
some of the hostages were glancing toward the outside,   
which she took to mean that the police were closing in   
on the building.  
  
"It's only a matter of time before the police burst in here   
and arrest you two," she said as she drew closer. "You   
might as well give up while you have the chance."  
  
The second guy was showing signs that he might give up,   
but the first guy was more desperate than that. "I've got   
a better idea," he growled furiously as he raised his gun.   
"How 'bout you die!" He pulled the trigger, firing a shot at   
the woman's head.  
  
Fortunately, the woman reacted before the shot was fired,   
ducking and pulling her human shield down so that neither   
one would be hit. She then fired two shots with the gun   
she took from the third guy, shooting the guns out of their   
hands. 'Amateurs,' she thought derisively as she pushed   
her human shield away as she rushed over to collect the   
other two guns as the police burst through the doors with   
guns drawn.  
  
"A little too late, guys," she shouted as she waved at the   
police officers. "I already took care of the situation." The   
officers looked at the woman in surprise as they took in   
the scene. By now, almost all of the hostages were   
rushing out of the building.  
  
"Hold it, buddy!" she shouted as she grabbed the shirt of   
one of the fleeing tellers, halting him in his tracks. "I   
haven't made my deposit yet and, by my watch, the bank's   
still open. I was next in line and I want you to take my   
deposit now."  
  
"But...," he began, then sighed. "Well, you did save my   
life...."  
  
"That's right," the woman pointed out.  
  
"I think I need a cigarette," he muttered as he pulled   
one out.  
  
"Here, let me," she said as she pointed her own gun and   
pulled the trigger, causing a wisp of flame to appear from   
the top. The police officers pointed their guns at the   
woman, but put them away when they realized that it was   
just a lighter.  
  
"Wha...?" he gasped, dropping the cigarette. When he   
realized that she wasn't going to shoot him, he calmed   
down a bit. "You mean, that WASN'T a real gun?!?"  
  
"Oh, no," the woman replied, laughing. "It's not a real   
gun, but it sure fools a LOT of people."  
  
"On second thought," he muttered wearily, "I think I'll   
give up smoking. It's becoming WAY too dangerous to   
my health...."  
  
"Now you know why I never started," the woman replied   
with a smile as she followed the man to the teller window.  
  
"Excuse me, Miss," one of the officers said as he   
snapped out of his surprised shock, "but...."  
  
"Oh, is it about firing that gun at the robbers?" she asked   
offhandedly. "Here." She reached into her pocket and   
pulled out her wallet and flashed a badge. "I'm special   
agent Diane Silver, F.B.I."  
  
"You don't mind if I...?" the officer began.  
  
"No, go ahead and take the badge for indentification,"   
Diane replied with a grin. "I just wanna make my deposit,   
okay? Just remember to give it back when you're done."  
  
"Oh, go right ahead, Miss Silver," the officer replied. "And   
by the way," he whispered, "thanks for your help."  
  
Diane grinned and turned toward the teller. "Now, let's get   
started with my deposit, shall we?"  
  
**********************************************  
  
"Cut!" Amy shouted. "That was good! I think we've got it this   
time!"  
  
"About time!" Serena replied. "I thought we'd never get that   
scene finished!"  
  
"Well, anyways, let's get ready for the next scene shall we?"   
Amy asked.  
  
"Fine by me," Serena said indifferently. "I'm not in the next   
scene anyway. Just let me know when you need me." With   
that, she left for her trailer.  
  
"Care to watch the next scene, Darien?" Amy asked.  
  
"Might as well," Darien replied with a grin. "It'll be a while   
before we get to my first scene anyway."  
  
**********************************************  
  
To Chapter 4  
  
**********************************************  
  
Author's Note: And so, the movie begins. What do think of the   
'fic with a fic' feature? It's two... two... two fics in one! ^_^   
Well, tune in next chapter when Darien makes his acting debut when   
he does his first scene!  
  
Disclaimer: All original materials belong to their respective   
owners. Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi and a bunch   
of big companies. No copyright infringement is intended. This   
story belongs to Moonsong and myself, and I would appreciate   
you emailing her or myself for permission before posting it   
anywhere else. Thank you.  
  
Prologue Copyright © January 24, 2000 Moonsong.  
Other Chapters Copyright © August 12, 2000 Jason Ulloa.   
All Rights Reserved. 


	6. Chapter 5

Seeing Stars  
By Jason Ulloa  
Original story by Moonsong  
Continued with her permission.  
  
  
Chapter 5  
  
"Okay, everyone, let's take our places for the next scene!"   
Amy called out as she, Darien, and the rest crew quickly   
moved to the part of the set where the next scene would   
take place. "Ready? Action!"  
  
**********************************************  
  
"Mr. S, Mr. J is here to see you," a female voice said   
through the intercom.  
  
Mr. S growled softly to himself only for a moment. "Send him   
in," he replied. His airheaded secretary couldn't ruin his good   
mood.  
  
Since it was full dark outside, the building lights were on,   
except for the light over his seat. The darkness suited him;   
suited his dark moods, which he was known to have. Since his   
associate was here to receive his instructions, it was only fair   
to come into the light to speak with him. After all, it wasn't like   
he had anything to hide from him.  
  
Mr. S strode into the light, one hand pushing back a wayward   
strand of dark brown hair and stopping to brush of a piece of lint   
from the shoulder of his gray business suit. His pitch black   
necktie made a sharp contrast with his snow white dress shirt.  
  
The door opened as the secretary let Mr. J in. Mr. J was a little   
shorter than he was, with short, light blonde hair. His grayish-blue   
shirt and black slacks was a little more casual than the other   
man's suit, but he carried himself with an air that would have   
anyone who didn't know different thinking that he was the one in   
charge. His sharp, piercing green eyes focused on Mr. S's light   
brown as he reached out to him with one hand.  
  
Mr. J gave the secretary a hard glare which made her jerk back   
reflexively. "Um, if you don't need me for anything further, Mr. S?   
Mr. J?"  
  
"I told you NOT to call me THAT!!!" Mr. J snapped angrily while   
thrusting an accusing finger at her.  
  
"S, s, sorry, sir," she replied meekly as she hurried out of the room,   
closing the door behind her.  
  
"I wish I could do that to her," Mr. S said with a grin.  
  
"The problem with you is that you worry to much about legalities,"   
Mr. J replied.  
  
"You're not her employer. I am. I have to worry about legalities."  
  
"Bah," Mr. J retorted, waving his hand in dismissal. "We're not   
here to discuss idiot secretaries. What've you got lined up for me,   
Max?"  
  
Max grinned wolfishly. "We're ready to begin phase 2 of our   
operations."  
  
"So soon? I thought you wouldn't be done with production for...."  
  
"Not only have I finished production, but over half of the satellites   
are currently in orbit and in position."  
  
"No kidding. So I guess you'll be wanting me to make your   
necessary acquisitions, then?"  
  
"The sooner you get this done, Jed, the better. Half of the payment   
is right there on the table behind me," Max told him guesturing   
toward the briefcase lying on the table. "The other half of the   
payment on delivery, of course."  
  
"Of course," Jed agreed, walking past Max and picking up the   
briefcase. "I'll contact you with updates on my progress."  
  
"Good. Remember, if you get caught, I know nothing."  
  
Jed snorted derisively. "Whatever. You know I never get caught."  
  
"Precautions, Jed," Max repiled, admonishingly waving his index   
finger with a small conspiritorial grin on his face. "I have to cover   
my own ass, you know."  
  
"Yeah, yeah," Jed countered tiredly as he waved his free hand   
again in dismissal, as if he had heard that speech millions of times   
before. "I know. I know. If you'll excuse me, Mr. S," he said in a   
tone imitating Max's secretary, "I've got things to attend to before   
I get to work."  
  
"Just get the hell out of my office!" Max shouted seethingly. Jed   
chuckled to himself as he left the office.  
  
**********************************************  
  
"Cut!" Amy shouted and grinned to herself. Personally, she thought   
that everyone else worked better when Serena's oppressive and   
dominating personality was absent from the set. She also had a   
tendency to break character and demand that the scene start over   
because of this actor's or that actress's incompetence. Thankfully,   
Serena was holing up in her trailer, away from everyone else.  
  
"Well, I'd better start getting ready for my first scene," Darien   
stated as he got to his feet.  
  
"Darien, your scene's not up next," she replied questioningly.  
  
"I know, but I just wanna go over my first scene one more time.   
Don't wanna make any mistakes, ya know?" he said, nodding his   
head slightly toward Serena's trailer.  
  
Amy sighed to herself. "I think you're overreacting just a little."  
  
"I'm just being careful," Darien countered. "I'm the one on her bad   
side, not you. Besides, this movie is supposed to be a big   
opportunity for me. If I blow this chance, then I'd never forgive   
myself. I'm gonna do the best I can, despite Serena Moon's demand   
for perfection."  
  
The blue-haired director grinned to herself as she watched Darien   
head toward where he left his script and start rereading it. 'I have a   
feeling that he's gonna do better than we've all hoped for; even if   
Serena didn't all but browbeat him into doing his best. If I'm right,   
then I'll be placing a call to G.Q. very soon. Once I tell him about   
what's going on around here, he'll jump at the chance to revise this   
script the way Melvin and I have been hoping to do.'  
  
Greg Quincy Carter - or 'G.Q.' as everyone called him, due to the   
fact that he was always dressed as if he had just stepped out of a   
Gentleman's Quarterly magazine - was a good friend of Amy's, and   
a crack writer. He had collaborated with her for every single script   
rewrite she needed. He was also very modest, despite the way he   
dresses, often saying that most of the ideas were her own and that   
he just built upon them. There was also a lot of Hollywood gossip   
about him and Amy, saying that they were all but a couple, despite   
the fact that they were always saying that they were just friends.   
Not that he would mind that if she did want to go out with him, but he   
knew she had her eyes set on someone else.  
  
Amy turned toward one of the grips that was carrying a box and   
waved him over. "Would you mind informing Miss Moon that we're   
getting ready for her next scene, please?" The grip nodded his   
assent and left after she nodded her thanks.  
  
Minutes later, Serena left her trailer and walked over to the set.   
"Is everyone ready?" she asked in a less pompous manner than   
earlier. She seemed almost... normal.  
  
Amy blinked in surprise for a moment, caught off guard by her   
quick change of behavior. "Uh..., almost. The grips are almost   
finished getting the set ready...." She paused for a moment as she   
noticed one of them giving her an O.K. sign. "Oh, they're done."  
  
Serena nodded and took her place as Amy watched in confusion.   
Not that she wasn't grateful, but what she wouldn't give to figure   
out what had calmed her down so quickly. For a second, she   
entertained the notion that it was the fact that Darien was   
elsewhere and not in Serena's sight, but she dismissed that idea   
as silly. She had always been haughty and abrasive, even without   
Darien adding fuel to the fire. There was something about her   
current serene, self-possessed attitude that made her wonder   
what was going through her mind at the moment....  
  
"Everyone ready for the next scene?" Amy asked. "Action!"  
  
**********************************************  
  
The phone rang as Diane was busy in the kitchen, preparing   
breakfast. She was dressed in grey sweats and a loose grey   
T-shirt, her hair bound in a long ponytail as she always wore it   
to bed. She put down the bowl she was scrambling her eggs in   
and walked into the living room to answer the phone.  
  
Her one bedroom apartment was nicely kept. Of course, due to   
the cleaning service that came in once a week, anyone's   
apartment would look nicely kept. The couch, reclining chair,   
carpet, and a good deal of the other furnishings were all a   
silverish-grey color, like her namesake. Not that she was   
egotistical or anything, but she did like the color. A couple of   
magazines littered the coffee table between the couch and chair,   
not to mention the TV remote. The TV was off due to the fact that   
there wasn't anything good to watch anyway. Damn cable.  
  
As she plopped onto the couch to answer her cordless, her black   
cat jumped off in order to avoid getting hit by her mistress' legs.   
The cat turned and meowed at Diane in an upset tone, then   
stalked off after her diatribe was finished.  
  
"Oops! Sorry, Luna!" she called after her cat as she picked up   
her phone. "Hello, Silver speaking."  
  
"Diane!" a male voice greeted over the phone. "Heard about   
your little banking incident yesterday."  
  
"Oh, that?" she replied in an off-handed manner. "No big deal. I   
just wanted to get my check deposited as soon as possible and   
the police would've taken forever just with the hostage   
negotiations."  
  
"Nice to know that heroism was the last thing on your mind,   
Diane," he replied wryly.  
  
"Ah, come on, Artie," she replied in a feigned hurt tone, "you know   
I wouldn't try anything like that. I was just responding to my   
situation. Being taken as a hostage by simple, amateur bank   
robbers wouldn't do for my reputation, now, would it? I'm not the   
top agent for nothing, you know."  
  
There was an audible sigh heard over the phone. "You and your   
reputation," he replied in a slightly exasperated tone. "Sometimes   
I wonder why I put up with you."  
  
"Maybe it's because you love me?" she teased.  
  
Artie snorted loudly. "Hardly."  
  
"Aw, come on, Artie," she continued with a large grin on her face.   
"You know you love me. Admit it." She could just imagine him   
rolling his eyes in annoyance.  
  
"Anyway, Diane, I'd like you to give me your own verbal report of   
what happened yesterday when you come in later," he told her.  
  
This time, it was Diane's turn to sigh. "Aw, come on, Artie," she   
moaned. "Do you really need my report? Isn't the police report   
enough?"  
  
This was a pause, which she guessed meant that Artie was   
probably grinning. "You know 'my' reputation."  
  
"Yeah, yeah," she replied. "Mr. Artemis 'Thourough' D'Loire.   
Pencil pusher, extraordinaire." She giggled as she heard him   
growling over the phone. "All right, then, chief, you'll have my   
report."  
  
"Good. I'll see you in my office later."  
  
"Okay," Diane said as she sat back up on her couch. "Bye,   
Artie!" She hung up the phone and walked back to her kitchen,   
pausing to scratch Luna behind her ears.  
  
**********************************************  
  
Artemis hung up the phone and sighed to himself again as he   
shook his head in vexation. Diane had always loved to tease   
him, even though he was her superior. Then again, he never   
really minded the good-natured ribbing. She was like a daughter   
to him, and he occasionally treated her as such. Especially,   
when she was in one of her teasing moods.  
  
He had known her ever since she first started working for the   
F.B.I. five years ago, when he was still a field agent. He taught   
her everything he knew and she learned very quickly, even   
surpassing him in some areas. When he was finally promoted   
from field duty two years ago, she had quickly gained a   
reputation as one of the best agents in the F.B.I.  
  
She was one of the first agents to be placed under his   
supervision; in fact, she had asked to be transferred under   
his supervision. He was very honored by the action, despite   
the fact that she was constantly calling him a 'pencil pusher'.   
Not that he missed field work, but at 41 years of age and grey   
slowly coloring some of his hairs, he was glad to be behind a   
desk. Diane's 25 years was better suited to the field than he was.  
  
Artemis glanced down at the police report again and chuckled to   
himself. "Bluffing with a gun-shaped lighter," he said to himself.   
"Now I'm glad I got her that for her birthday even though she   
doesn't smoke. I'm gonna love saying 'I told you so' to her face,   
once she gets here." He leaned back in his chair and grinned   
broadly, crossing his arms across his chest.  
  
**********************************************  
  
"Cut!" Amy shouted. "Very good, people! We're making great   
progress today. Everyone, take a break and be back for the   
next scene in half an hour."  
  
Serena went quietly back to her trailer without one complaint   
about the other actors or without saying that the scene could've   
been done better. Amy glanced at her retreating form with one   
eyebrow raised in confusion. Deciding not to look a gift horse   
in the mouth, she headed over toward wardrobe, where she   
last saw Darien.  
  
**********************************************  
  
A knock on the door pulled Darien's attention from the script he   
was studying. He got to his feet and opened the door. "Amy, is   
it time for my first scene yet?" he asked as soon as he saw who   
it was.  
  
"Yes, but everyone's on a 30-minute break, now," she replied.  
  
Darien frowned in confusion as he noticed her slightly   
preoccupied expression. "Something wrong?"  
  
"Serena's acting strangely for some reason," she told him.  
  
"Doesn't surprise me," he commented.  
  
"No, I mean, when she came out of her trailer, she was acting   
calm, instead of arrogant and haughty as usual."  
  
"And that's what's bothering you?" he asked incredulously. "I'd   
be grateful, no matter how it happened."  
  
"It's not that I'm not grateful," she replied, "it's that I don't know   
how it happened. I wish I knew, but I don't."  
  
Darien scratched his head in confusion. "Well, no matter how   
she's acting, my scene's up next."  
  
"You ready, Darien?" Amy asked.  
  
"I'm ready," he replied confidently. "I'll show Miss Moon that this   
'extra' can act good enough to suit her."  
  
Amy grinned and nodded as they both left the room. 'Now we'll   
see if Melvin and I were right to choose him to play opposite   
Serena...'  
  
**********************************************  
  
Serena closed the door behind her as she entered her trailer.   
She walked the short distance between the door and her vanity   
and sat down in front of the lighted mirror. Slowly, she undid the   
long ponytail and began brushing her hair. She disliked wearing it   
in a desheveled manner, but the scene called for her looking like   
she had just gotten out of bed a little late in the morning.  
  
She glanced at the clock hanging on the far side of the trailer.   
11:09. Amy had been working the cast and crew hard this morning.   
They needed that 30-minute break. Lunch was in a few hours, so   
she would have time for only one more scene before lunch.   
Darien's first scene.  
  
The thought of that man made her angry. He almost ruined one of   
her favorite designer dresses, which cost her quite a bit to clean.   
She had gotten him fired from his last job, which didn't bother her   
much, nor did it mollify her ire any. When she saw him standing   
next to the craft services table earlier, her temper flared up again.   
It burned when she found out that not only was he going to be   
working on the same set as her, but he was going to play opposite   
of her as well! The thought just made her want to chew nails.  
  
She realized she was clenching her fists very tightly, making her knuckles   
white. Deliberately, she loosened them, allowing blood to flow. She   
had almost lost her temper again.  
  
Serena sighed to herself. She had never been this angry at anyone   
before. Sure, she would get angry if people weren't doing their job   
right, but that was because their shoddy work would reflect on her.   
She was a very successful actress and she would be damned if   
she would ever have her name associated with a movie that bombed.  
  
There was something about Darien, though, that seemed to draw   
her anger like a magnet. Perhaps it was the circumstances under   
which they 'met'. Spilling soda and coffee on her favorite desiger   
dress is certainly no way to get on her good side. Then there was   
his sudden and abrupt career boost. She had to work hard to get   
where she was and this guy just happens to get some lucky break.   
It was totally unfair and it pissed her off.  
  
She had somewhat threatened to make his life a living hell while he   
was on the set, but most of it was just words said out of anger. She   
wasn't really going to go out of her way just to make his life miserable,   
she just wanted him - and everyone else - to think she did. Kicking   
his chair out from under him and making his coffee spill all over him   
helped reinforce that.  
  
Unbidden, the image of Darien without his shirt flashed through her   
mind. She had to admit that he was cute... no, sexy, with those   
well-defined muscles and gorgeous features. He wasn't too bulgy,   
but just right for her taste. The image of him shirtless soon led to   
other images, which quickly prompted her to pause in her brushing   
and shake the images out of her head. Her mind cleared, she then   
continued her brushing.  
  
After she finished brushing her hair, she put it up in her favorite   
hairstyle: a pair of odangos and twin ponytails streaming down from   
the two hairbuns on her head. She was famous for this hairstyle.   
Many young women, and even some of her colleagues, tried to   
imitate her hairstyle, but not many could pull it off as well as she   
could.  
  
As she turned to leave her trailer, so she could watch Darien   
perform in his first scene and see for herself how good he really   
was, her eyes fixed onto the script lying on the small end table   
near the door. Upon seeing the script, she remembered the scene   
she had read before leaving her trailer. Before, she had been in a   
shocked stupor when the full realization hit her. Sure, she had read   
the scene before, but that was when she thought that some other   
actor was going to do the scene with her, not Darien. The images   
she had banished from her mind minutes ago returned, stronger   
than before. She closed her eyes and covered them with her   
hands as she shook her head again.  
  
"No," she whispered to herself. "No. Damn you, Anderson. Damn   
you, Van Holst. How could you do this to me? I don't want to do it.   
I hate him! Why couldn't it be anyone else but him? I could deal   
with it if it was anyone but him."  
  
'Are you sure?' a small voice asked quietly inside her head. 'He   
is handsome. You yourself even admitted that. Are you positive   
that you wouldn't want to do that scene with him?'  
  
"I don't want to do it," she whispered quietly in reply. "Never with   
him. I hate him!"  
  
'Are you even sure you hate him? A designer dress is such a   
trivial thing to hate someone over.'  
  
"He's just some jerk who got a lucky break!" she argued quietly   
to herself. "He doesn't deserve to have this part! I had to work   
my ass off just to get where I am!"  
  
'So, you supposedly hate him because you're jealous of him,' the small   
voice mocked. 'You're jealous because he got opportunities you   
never got.'  
  
"I am NOT jealous of him!" she retorted. "I have no reason to be   
jealous of anyone! I am Serena Moon, one of the greatest   
actresses in Hollywood! I'm jealous of no one!"  
  
'Oh, really?' the voice laughed, then fell silent.  
  
Serena grabbed the script off of the table and cocked her arm   
back as if to throw the script across the trailer. She paused for   
a moment as her anger began to calm again. "Now I'm getting   
angry with myself," she muttered in annoyance as she casually   
tossed the script back onto the end table and shook her head   
tiredly. "I need to get a grip. After this movie's finished, I'm taking   
a vacation." She glanced back at the script again. "A very LONG   
vacation."  
  
As she opened the door, she could hear the sounds of the crew   
returning to work. The set was being set up for the next scene.   
Over by the studio entrance, she could see Amy talking with Darien.  
  
'Are you even sure you hate him?' she remembered the voice   
asking her mere moments ago. 'Are you positive that you wouldn't   
want to do that scene with him? You're jealous because he got   
opportunities you never got.'  
  
"Damn you, Shields," she whispered quietly to herself as she glared   
at him. "Damn you."  
  
**********************************************  
  
To Chapter 6  
  
**********************************************  
  
Author's Note: Okay, I know I said that I was gonna have  
Darien's first scene in this chapter, but things happen and  
suddenly you're in a whole new chapter before you know it.  
Darien's first scene is definitely going to be in the next chapter,  
I promise. Be sure to be there when Chapter 6 features Darien  
Shields as Jack Terrance... and some other stuff. ^_~  
  
Disclaimer: All original materials belong to their respective   
owners. Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi and a bunch   
of big companies. No copyright infringement is intended. This   
story belongs to Moonsong and myself, and I would appreciate   
you emailing her or myself for permission before posting it   
anywhere else. Thank you.  
  
Prologue Copyright © January 24, 2000 Moonsong.  
Other Chapters Copyright © August 12, 2000 Jason Ulloa.   
All Rights Reserved. 


	7. Chapter 6

Seeing Stars  
By Jason Ulloa  
Original story by Moonsong  
Continued with her permission.  
  
  
Chapter 6  
  
"So, how do you feel, Darien?" Amy asked, a small smile   
present on her face.  
  
"Ready," he replied, then took a deep breath. "A little   
nervous, but ready." He played with the light grey necktie   
around his neck and tugged at the collar of his midnight   
blue shirt to loosen it a bit. He wasn't sweating - makeup   
took care of that - but he felt that he might break out into a   
sweat soon if he had to wait any longer. He put his hands   
casually into the pockets of his black slacks and took   
another deep breath. "Shall we get started?"  
  
"In a few minutes, Darien," she replied. "I'm just waiting   
for.... Ah, there he is."  
  
Darien turned around to see Melvin walking up to them   
with an expectant grin on his face. "So, we're ready?" he   
asked eagerly. "So soon, too? You've really worked fast   
on this Amy. If things keep up at this rate, then this movie   
will be done months ahead of schedule."  
  
Amy shook her head with a sigh. "Today's just been a good   
day, Melvin. Don't expect things to go this well all the time."  
  
He nodded as if he was expecting that. "Yes, I understand,   
Amy. Well, I'm sure you know better. Anyway, I'm here to   
see our 'Jack' perform for the first time." He looked Darien   
up and down, taking in the details of his character's outfit.   
"Hmm.... Very good. Yes, you'll make a splendid 'Jack   
Terrance'. Now, don't disappoint us, Darien. Our professional   
reputations are at stake here."  
  
Darien gave Melvin a questioning glance. "Professional   
reputations?"  
  
"You can't expect successful producers and directors of   
our caliber to make mistakes on big parts like yours, Darien,"   
he replied. "Remember, we passed up many experienced   
actors and chose you. A bold move on our part. Decisions   
like that are expected to succeed when people like us make   
them."  
  
"I see," Darien replied, fully understanding how important it   
was to do well at his part. "You have nothing to worry about,   
Melvin. You'll see that I wasn't the wrong choice." He was   
surprised at the level of confidence in his voice, but he didn't   
say anything when he saw Melvin nodding.  
  
"That's good to hear," he said with another smile. "I'll be   
watching your performance, Darien. I hope you will do better   
than we expected." He then turned and walked away, leaving   
Amy and Darien to watch his retreating back.  
  
"Well," Amy said finally, "I hope that doesn't put any   
unnecessary pressure on you. Melvin means well, but he   
sometimes tends to worry. Most of the time his wife is around   
to help relieve him of his anxieties, but she's just getting over   
a cold and couldn't be here today."  
  
"Melvin's wife?" he asked.  
  
"Yes," she replied with a nod. "She's not officially a part of   
this movie, but she does come in every now and then to help   
out her husband when she's not producing another movie. The   
only reason she's not an official producer of this movie is   
because she had a family emergency to take care of back in   
her home country, Japan. Her mother got sick and she needed   
her. Melvin went with her, but was called back to produce for   
this movie. He agreed reluctantly, at his wife's urging. She   
came back just a week ago, but she caught sick a few days   
ago." She gave him a sidelong glance. "I think you may   
remember her. After all, she was the one Serena forced to   
fire you."  
  
"Molly?" he asked in surprise. He remembered her: a pretty   
green-eyed redhead who usually wore a ribbon in her hair   
and spoke with a slight accent. She was Melvin's wife?!?   
Talk about strange tastes in men.... "I don't remember her   
last name being Van Holst. What was it again? I can't   
seem to remember...."  
  
"She never changed her last name," Amy explained. "She   
kept it unchanged because she was already a well-known   
producer by the time she married. She considers it a   
professional name." She raised an eyebrow an amusement.   
"You truly don't remember? She was the one who paid you,   
and you can't even remember her last name?"  
  
"She was on a first name basis with everyone," Darien   
replied. "At the time, I really didn't care who she was as   
long as I was paid."  
  
"Her last name is Osaka," she told him. "Molly Osaka."  
  
"So that was Molly Osaka," Darien said thoughtfully. "I   
recognize the name now. At least now I can put a face to   
the name."  
  
He thought he saw some movement out of the corner of   
his eye. He turned slightly and saw Serena glaring at him;   
her arms folded as she studied him intensely. "I think we   
should get started now," he said flatly.  
  
Amy glanced in the direction he was looking in and saw   
Serena. "I guess you're right," she replied. "Okay, Darien,   
take your place and wait for my cue." Darien nodded and   
left for his position on the set.  
  
As soon as Darien left, Serena walked up to Amy. "So, he's   
really gonna play opposite of me," she murmured, almost to   
herself as she watched Darien. "I kept hoping that this was   
a bad dream, but I suppose it isn't."  
  
Amy glanced at Serena and opened her mouth to say   
something, but closed it again instead. Talking to her in   
that frame of mind would be a waste of time at the moment.   
Better to wait until lunch. There would be time to talk then.  
  
"Ready?" she called out toward the set. "Action!"  
  
**********************************************  
  
Jack Terrance sat at the bar, slowly sipping his drink as he   
looked over the crowd dancing in the middle of the club. Wine.   
He wanted his wits about him tonight, so the hard stuff was out.   
Not that he couldn't hold his liquor, but for some reason, he   
had always been oversensitive to alcohol. Anything over 50%   
proof would go through him like water and kick in within minutes.   
Anything over 90% proof would take him out in five shots. It   
was embarrassing sometimes, but most of the time he didn't   
care. It was something he just had to live with.  
  
It was hard singling out one person in a crowd, but he had   
experience in that sort of thing with his line of work. Being a   
private investigator, you had to be sharp. Otherwise, you'd   
lose business.  
  
The person he was watching was totally unaware that he   
was there and watching him. That was how it was supposed   
to be. The woman sitting a few chairs away from him gave   
him a quick glance, then turned back to her drink. Jack   
didn't give her a second thought as he watched his target   
leave the dance floor and sit down at the other end of the   
bar. As he nonchalantly pretended to be interested in   
whoever else was dancing, he gazed at the man at the   
other end of the bar, and the woman who just sat down   
next to him.  
  
A woman coughed loudly just two chairs away from him....   
Wait. Wasn't that the same woman he saw further away   
before? It was. No matter, she wasn't important, and he   
wasn't the paranoid type.  
  
He glanced over to the other side again. The man and   
woman were talking with their heads close to each other.   
No surprise; with the music and conversations everywhere,   
it was loud here. It was a good thing that he was a skilled   
lip-reader.  
  
'...so I told her that I'd be working late again,' the man said   
to the woman. 'It's a good thing that she's used to my   
having to work late; I can use it as an excuse whenever I   
want.'  
  
'Are you sure she doesn't suspect a thing?' the woman asked.  
  
'Nah, she's not that bright. It'll take her months before she'd   
begin to suspect, and by then, we'll be long gone. Are you   
sure that you can get the keys?'  
  
'Keys?' Jack thought to himself. 'What's he talking about?'  
  
'Yeah, I think so. Mr S. isn't very trusting, but he hates having   
to sort through that huge safe of his. I don't think he even   
bothers to check if everything's there....'  
  
'Woah, this is becoming a LOT more complicated than I   
thought,' Jack realized.  
  
"So, was she right?" a female voice asked from the seat next   
to him. Jack turned to see the same woman again, but sitting   
next to him now. As soon as turned to face him, he recognized   
the woman. His client, Elayne Beoulve. She hired him because   
her sister, Carla Erwight, suspected her husband of cheaing on   
her. So much for her not being very bright.  
  
"Why are you here?" he asked with a false smile on his face.   
No need to tip his target off. Just another guy picking up on a   
girl. "I thought I'd told you that I'd let you know when I found out   
something."  
  
"To tell the truth, I wanted to go out tonight," Elayne replied. "I   
didn't know Nate would come here. Coincidence."  
  
Jack nodded slightly. "I suppose. Well, as long as you're here,   
I can tell you what I've found." He took another sip of his wine   
and leaned on his elbow, feigning a confident, I'm-gonna-try-to-impress-  
you-with-my-coolness pose. "Nate's definitely cheating on Carla...."  
  
"I knew it!" she all but shouted, almost jumping to her feet. He   
raised a cool eyebrow at being interrupted and she sat back   
down, slightly abashed at her outburst. "I'm sorry."  
  
"If you're ready to listen, I can tell you more," he said dryly.   
She nodded silently and he continued. "I'm not sure of the   
woman's name, yet. I've been mostly trailing Nate; watching   
where he was going and who he was talking to. There wasn't   
much until a few days ago, when he was supposedly working   
late for three days in a row." She nodded, remembering that   
from what her sister told her. "He wasn't. The first day, he   
went to a restaurant and waited for someone - a woman."  
  
"You weren't sure then?!?" she asked incredulously.  
  
"No, I wasn't," he replied curtly. "From their conversation,   
it could've been only a business dinner. Those kinds of   
things do happen occasionally," he added with a pointed look.   
He was getting tired of being interrupted. She nodded again   
and gestured for him to continue.  
  
"Yesterday, he drove to an enclosed apartment complex.   
Before you can ask, I couldn't tell whose apartment it was,   
but I had my suspicions. I didn't say anything because I   
needed to be sure before actually saying yes or no. It   
wouldn't be good for my professional rep to be wrong, now   
would it? As for today...." He trailed off, glancing to the other   
side of the bar with his eyes.  
  
"Okay, I understand," she told him. "Is there anything else?"  
  
"Yes," he replied, glancing quickly at the two at the other end   
of the bar. "I think there might be some kind of illegal plot   
between Nate and that other woman. They were talking about   
some keys, and the woman mentioned a Mr. S - her boss,   
maybe - and a safe. Embezzlement, I'm guessing."  
  
Elayne frowned. "I never did like Nate, but I never expected   
him to be involved in any sort of illegal stuff."  
  
"There's no proof, yet," he said after he finished his drink.   
"I wouldn't worry, though. You've been forewarned, so you   
and your sister can deal with Nate. This is important: do NOT   
let Nate know you suspect him of being invovled in an   
embezzlement plot. If you tip him off, he'll tip off her, and she   
might make a premature move, or do something worse. There   
has been cases of murder where the victims suspected...   
and were silenced."  
  
Elayne gulped nervously. "He wouldn't...."  
  
"Are you sure?" Jack asked as he got up from his barstool.   
"Anyways, I'm done here. The job's complete: you know that   
he's cheating on his wife. Leave it at that. My secretary will   
contact you with the amount of my bill, and will answer any   
questions you may have about it."  
  
"Where are going?" she asked quickly.  
  
"I have some paperwork to fill out," he replied as he turned   
to leave. "The police should be notified of this plot. 'Forewarned   
is forearmed', you know. Don't worry about Nate being arrested;   
not without any proof of wrongdoing. I'm going to keep a watch   
on that woman."  
  
"Why?" she asked. "I never hired you to watch that woman."  
  
"I sometimes work with the L.A.P.D.," he replied, "and sometimes   
for them. They'd appreciate any infomation they can use against   
that woman, should she commit the crime." He gave her a small   
grin over his shoulder. "Good night, Elayne." With that, he left   
the club, mentally reviewing anything that he might need for the   
report.  
  
**********************************************  
  
"Cut!" Amy shouted grin a huge grin on her face. "Wonderful,   
people! Let's break for lunch!"  
  
Serena blinked in surprise for a moment. The scene was over   
already? "Oh, okay." She turned to leave when Amy called out   
to her.  
  
"What did you think of Darien's performance?" she asked with   
an obviously smug grin.  
  
Serena answered her grin with a tight-lipped one of her own.   
"He has some meager skill, I'll give him that." She whirled around   
and stalked off the set.  
  
"So, what did she think?" Darien asked, walking up to Amy and   
watching Serena storm off.  
  
"I think she was impressed," Amy replied with a wide grin. "We   
both were."  
  
"All three of us were," Melvin added. "Amy didn't even have to   
stop the scene once for another take. Flawless!"  
  
Darien grinned widely. "Thank you, both."  
  
"Don't get too cocky, though," Amy chided. "It was an easy   
scene. Harder scenes are yet to come. Afterwards, your acting   
skills will really be tested. Now, go to lunch. Be back in an hour."  
  
"Right," Darien nodded and left.  
  
Amy turned to Melvin and grinned. "Melvin, would you do me a   
favor and see if G.Q. would mind coming down Thursday? Tell   
him that I think I might have another job for him."  
  
Melvin's smile almost split his face. "With pleasure, Miss   
Anderson," he said cheerfully. "With great pleasure." Humming   
happily to himself, he left to go phone a certain writer. Amy   
watched him go, gave an exasperated, yet amused sigh and   
went to lunch.  
  
**********************************************  
  
To Chapter 7  
  
**********************************************  
  
Author's Note: Darien has passed his first test with flying   
colors, but will he do just as well during the entire movie? How   
will the script change once G.Q. gets a hold of it? How will   
Serena take it once she discovers that he's going to be   
bumped up to co-star status? Wait and see, won't you? ^_~  
  
Disclaimer: All original materials belong to their respective   
owners. Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi and a bunch   
of big companies. No copyright infringement is intended. This   
story belongs to Moonsong and myself, and I would appreciate   
you emailing her or myself for permission before posting it   
anywhere else. Thank you.  
  
Prologue Copyright © January 24, 2000 Moonsong.  
Other Chapters Copyright © August 12, 2000 Jason Ulloa.   
All Rights Reserved. 


	8. Chapter 7

Seeing Stars  
By Jason Ulloa  
Original story by Moonsong  
Continued with her permission.  
  
  
Chapter 7  
  
Darien strode to his car, feeling quite pleased with himself.   
He had made a good impression on both Amy and Melvin. He   
opened the door, slid in and closed it. As his hand reached   
for the belt over his left should, it paused as a stray thought   
came to mind.  
  
Serena Moon had stormed off as if she was angry at him. Of   
course, that wasn't anything new, but she had stormed off   
before commenting on his first scene, at least to him. He had   
received a second-hand complement from her, delivered by   
Amy, but it seemed to have been edited of its content. Perhaps   
the compliment was given backhandedly in the middle of another   
slight on his part. He sighed. Would she never be satisfied?   
Was she going to stay mad at him during the entire shoot?   
Forever? If he was going to get any peace during the time he   
would be working with Serena, he had to make amends...   
somehow.  
  
A flash of a white convertable crossed his rearview mirror; twin   
blonde ponytails flying in the breeze as Serena drove off the   
set. Without thinking, Darien finished buckling his seat belt and   
started the car. He backed up, straightened the wheel, and   
proceeded to follow the white convertable... at a safe following   
distance, of course. No need to show her that someone was   
following.  
  
After a short stop at the security gate to show the guard that   
he now had his temporary ID card, he was out on the main   
street, tailing Serena with four cars between them at all times.   
As an added percaution, he wore a pair of thin-wire sunglasses,   
which he always left in his car. If she were to glance back at   
him when there were no cars between them, a short glance   
wouldn't give him away... or, at least he hoped it wouldn't.  
  
A few minutes later, Serena's car stopped at one of the most   
expensive restaurants in the city. Darien grimaced at her   
choice of dining establishments; he could barely afford to eat   
there, that is, if he could manage to get in. The reservation list   
was usually full.  
  
Serena walked over to the entrance, paused, and turned toward   
his car and flashed him a triumphant smile. She knew. More than   
likely, she knew all along. Damn. Grumbling under his breath, he   
opened the door and stepped out. As soon as he did, she folded   
her arms and frowned as she stared at him.  
  
He blinked in surprise. Was she actually waiting for him? Before   
he could take one step toward her, she tossed her head, her   
ponytails whipping about like a pair of whips, and stalked inside.   
Darien quickly ran after her.  
  
"Wait!" he called as he burst through the door. Serena was just   
being shown to her usual table as he came in. Before he could   
follow, the maître d' stopped him short.  
  
"Reservation?" he asked in a haughty voice. Fleetingly, Darien   
wondered if all maître d's of high-class restaurants were required   
to speak in such an annoying voice.  
  
"Um... yes," Darien lied, pointing a finger at a random name on   
the reservation list with barely a glance. "See there it is. Now, if   
you'll excuse me, I must speak with Miss Moon...." He tried to   
walk past him, but failed when he caught Darien by his arm.  
  
"Really?" the maître d' asked in an amused tone. "Well, 'Miss   
Patricia Deveraux', you've certainly changed since the last time   
I've seen you," he continued in a condesending tone. "Would you like   
to try another name... sir?"  
  
"This one?" Darien asked, picking another name - male, this time.  
  
"That gentleman is already seated at table 27."  
  
"This one?"  
  
"Table 4."  
  
"This one?"  
  
"Mr. Masterson has grey in his hair."  
  
"This one?"  
  
"Mr. Tomas is a blonde."  
  
"This one?"  
  
"Alex Winters? No, that would be Miss Alexandra Winters to   
you."  
  
Darien was growing impatient. One quick glance over his shoulder   
at Serena's face showed that she was enjoying every minute of   
this. Perhaps she asked the maître d' to give him a hard time. No   
wonder he hadn't thrown him out yet. "This one?"  
  
"That's my brother." He gave Darien a small grin. "You're lucky   
you're not as ugly as he is."  
  
"All right, then," Darien sighed, reaching into his pocket.   
"Perhaps you recognize the name...." He paused to glance   
down at which dollar bills he had pulled out. He knew he had a   
ten, some twenties, and a fifty, but he forgot what order they   
were in. As soon as he saw which bill he had pulled out, he   
glanced up at the maître d' and opened his mouth to speak.  
  
"It's all right, Stephan," Serena said, now standing next to Darien   
and smirking at him, "he's with me... for now."  
  
"As you wish, Miss Moon," Stephan replied stiffly, obviously   
upset that he was cheated out of a gratuity.  
  
"Don't think I did this just so you'd get out of bribing Stephan,"   
Serena said sternly as she and Darien went to her table. As soon   
as she sat down, she gave him a mischevious, cat-like grin. "You'll   
need your money. After all, this is an expensive restaurant you're   
treating me to."  
  
"Wh... WHAT?!?" Darien blurted out incredulously as he sat down   
hard at the table.  
  
Serena's grin widened. "Why else would you be following me?"   
she asked, waving her hand nonchalantly. "By the way, those   
shades couldn't fool a six year-old," she said with a derisive smirk.   
She leaned back in her chair and folded her arms across her   
chest, giving him a measuring glance with one eyebrow raised as   
Darien shiften uncomfortably in his chair. "Seriously, though," she   
said in a normal, questioning tone, "why did you follow me? I would   
think you'd want to stay far away from me as possible. I know I'd   
prefer that, though I must admit, I'm curious as to the reason why   
you did."  
  
Darien swallowed and cleared his throat before he began. She   
raised an eyebrow at that, as if she was annoyed at the action.   
"Well, Miss Moon, first of all, I wanted to apologize for what   
happened the first time we met...." He grimaced at the angry   
tightening of her eyes as she very well knew what he was talking   
about. The waiter assigned to the table walked up, took one look   
at Serena, and decided to come back later. Darien didn't blame   
him; right now, he didn't want to be there, either.  
  
"I really didn't get a chance to apologize for almost completely   
ruining your dress before I was... asked to leave." Thrown off,   
was more like it. "I do intend to make it up to you."  
  
"How?" she asked, her tightly controlled anger evident in her cool   
voice.  
  
He took a deep breath and sighed mentally. She wasn't going to   
forgive him easily, but for the sake of not having to go through a   
living hell for at least the next two weeks, this had to be done.   
Besides, he felt he owed this to her. He had to set things right or   
he'd never have any peace... especially not with her.  
  
"By whatever reasonable means you decide," he simply stated.  
  
Serena blinked in surprise, though she kept her expression neutral.   
'Why is he doing this?' she wondered, considering the dark-haired,   
blue-eyed man sitting in front of him. 'Why is he willing to do all this   
just to earn my forgiveness? Did I really scare him THAT much?'   
She paused in her thoughts. "That couldn't be it. I've done worse to   
others and they've never done anything for me. Does he really think   
I'm going to ride him during the whole two weeks?' Another pause.   
'Well, I did want him to think that, didn't I? Maybe I'm being a little too   
hard on him. But, still, that's no reason for me to go easy on him,   
either. Especially since I've been forced to have him play opposite   
of me.' She paused again, studying the slightly apprehensive way   
he was looking everywhere except at her. 'But maybe, I think I'll   
lighten up... just a little.'  
  
"Okay, Shields," she answered finally. Darien turned his attention   
back towards her. "I'll accept that offer. I won't decide right away   
how you'll make it up to me, but I'll will let you know when I decide.   
Are we agreed on that?"  
  
"Yes," he said in a very relieved voice. "Agreed."  
  
"Was that all you had to say?" she asked.  
  
"No, there's more," he replied. "I also wanted to know why you're   
so angry at me. I mean, ruining a designer dress seems to me to   
be such a small thing to be so upset about...." He stopped short as   
the fierce angry glare returned.  
  
The waiter had returned again, carrying a pair of menus in his arm.   
He noted Serena's expression, stopped, and turned back again,   
muttering to himself that someone else could service that table and   
why did he have to put up with all the tempermental customers?   
The measly tips were hardly worth it.  
  
"You want to know, Shields?" she asked coldly, her icy stare   
making him want to sink into his chair and just vanish. "You   
really want to know? Very well, then. I'm angry because you - a   
jumped-up gofer who thinks he can act just because he's done   
some extra work and a few minor parts now and then - suddenly   
and out of the blue, land a role that many actors would do damn   
well anything to get; not to mention acting opposite of ME, besides!   
I've worked my ass off getting to where I am today, and here you   
are, totally inexperienced in acting major roles in movies of this   
caliber.  
  
"And why you? Oh, don't act like you don't know," she snapped,   
pointing an accusing finger at him as his eyes began to look   
anywhere but at her. "I think Anderson made it perfectly clear   
that she and Van Holst only chose you just to piss me off. All that   
talk about 'you said you thought an extra could do better'. Bull! I   
may be a blonde, but I'm not stupid."  
  
"Wait a minute!" Darien interjected when he finally got the chance.   
It was hard trying to get a word in edgewise when she began to   
rant. "I don't know where you get off calling me a 'gofer'. As I recall,   
I was merely doing a favor by carrying that tray of drinks. Some of   
the grips asked me if I could get them something since they were   
busy lifting some heavy part of the set. Since I was on my way   
there, I agreed to it. It wasn't my fault that one of the sound guys   
chose that moment to pull tight on that audio cable, raising it so I   
could trip over it. It wasn't my fault you were just turning the corner   
and got hit with the drinks. I told you before, I was sorry and I'm   
willing to make amends.  
  
"As for being hired just to piss you off: I admit, that was one of   
the reasons Amy said she and Melvin hired me," he continued.   
"It wasn't the only one. Amy also said that she heard from my   
agent, Mina Blake, that I've done good work as an extra and with   
other various minor roles. She wanted to give me a chance at a   
major role and see how I'd do. Not to sound arrogant or anything,   
but both she and Melvin said that I did good, even though it was   
an easy scene."  
  
Serena sniffed loudly and dismissively. "A high school kid could   
do that scene," she replied. "Still," she continued, her voice and   
expression lightening, "I do have to admit that you weren't bad."   
She spotted the waiter, who was trying his hardest NOT to be   
seen by her, and gestured peremptorily for him to come to the   
table. "Menus, please?" she asked in tone that was more like a   
command than a request. The waiter gave an inward sigh, wishing   
he had chosen to use his one remaining sick day today, nodded   
respectfully and turned to bring menus. Darien thought he could   
hear him grumbling to himself as he left.  
  
"I suppose I can take that as a compliment," he said dryly.  
  
She gave him a flat look. "Don't get used to it. Compliments from   
me aren't given very often."  
  
The waiter came back with a pair of menus and handed them to   
Serena and Darien. Darien's eyes widened at the prices listed.   
The least expensive item was close to fourteen dollars! Serena   
ordered a seafood dish and salad while he contemplated on   
whether or not he should just order a glass of water. Finally, he   
decided on a relatively inexpensive steak. Inexpensive in   
comparison to everything else, that is. This was gonna cost   
him at least fourty dollars, not including the tip!  
  
Through most of the meal, they ate in silence, mostly because   
she didn't have anything to say to him. He tried to talk to her a   
couple of times, but she only gave replies to his queries.  
  
"Your hair looks really nice today, Serena," he told her with an   
attempt at a charming smile.  
  
She looked up from her salad at him and raised an eyebrow   
questioningly. "Thank you, Shields," she replied with the barest   
courtesy and resumed eating. So much for the hope of a return   
compliment. Well, she was definitely right about her compliments   
being rare.  
  
"Serena," he tried again later, after she had ordered a desert:   
an expensive - as if there was any other kind here - desert   
that looked more like a combination of a melted chocolate bar   
and a cupcake; some kind of fancy éclair, he thought. "Serena,   
you don't have to keep referring to me as 'Shields'. I know   
you're still upset at me, but would you at least call me Darien?   
That IS my name, you know."  
  
"Yes, I know that is your name...," she replied as she lifted   
another piece of her desert to her mouth, grinning sardonically.   
"...Shields." Darien sighed and gave up as he looked at the   
check. Fourty-one dollars and fifty-eight cents. And he had to   
pay it.  
  
Ouch.  
  
"I do hope you have enough, Shields," Serena said as she   
pushed her chair back and stood, getting ready to leave.   
Darien quickly stood as well, to be polite, as she turned her   
back toward him. "I'm going to freshen up. Take care of that,   
would you?" With that, she headed off for the ladies' restroom.  
  
He grimaced as he picked up the check. 'A good thing I do   
have enough, although I may have to cut back on my   
groceries this week.' He glanced at the total again. 'The   
minium fifteen percent tip should be around six and a half   
dollars. I've already spent enough as it is.'  
  
The cashier wasn't too far away. He walked over, carrying   
the check in one hand and most of his money in the other.   
The cashier was very frank and impersonal - which suited   
Darien, since he really didn't feel like talking right now. He   
just took the check, entered the total, took Darien's money   
and returned his change. The only words he spoke was the   
check total and the amount of change. He didn't even bother   
to look at him. Obviously he else was having a bad day, so   
Darien just took his money and left.  
  
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Serena leaving the   
restaurant. She didn't even bother to thank him for paying   
for her lunch - not that he was surprised; she probably   
considered it a down payment on what he already owed her.   
He continued over to the table and paused in surprise.  
  
A ten-dollar bill was left on the table.  
  
Darien blinked; no, it was still there. Okay, so he wasn't   
seeing things. She may have made him pay the bill, but at   
least she gave the tip. Maybe that was her 'thank you'.   
Feeling a little better, Darien turned and left the restaurant,   
feeling quite pleased with himself.  
  
If the day so far was any indication, at the rate things were   
going, maybe Serena Moon would one day even treat him   
with respect instead of scorn. A smirk crossed his lips.   
Yeah, and maybe he'd start dressing up in tuxedos and start   
flinging roses at people, too. Chuckling to himself at the   
mental image, he got into his car, turned on the radio,   
slipped on his shades and drove back towards the studio.   
Things were definitely looking better.  
  
**********************************************  
  
To Chapter 8  
  
**********************************************  
  
Author's Note: Well, that was an interesting 'first date', now   
wasn't it? Things are starting to go more smoothly for Darien,   
but I've just started to mess with him. ^_~ but, the day is far from   
over and there's more movie to shoot. Next chapter: Amy and G.Q.   
discuss the movie script... and a few other things; Melvin loses   
his lunch; and a group of items from Sailor Moon makes a guest   
appearance in 'Total Eclipse': the Nijizuishou, otherwise known   
as the Rainbow Crystals. ^_~  
  
Disclaimer: All original materials belong to their respective   
owners. Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi and a bunch   
of big companies. No copyright infringement is intended. This   
story belongs to Moonsong and myself, and I would appreciate   
you emailing her or myself for permission before posting it   
anywhere else. Thank you.  
  
Prologue Copyright © January 24, 2000 Moonsong.  
Other Chapters Copyright © August 12, 2000 Jason Ulloa.   
All Rights Reserved. 


	9. Chapter 8

Seeing Stars  
By Jason Ulloa  
Original story by Moonsong  
Continued with her permission.  
  
  
Chapter 8  
  
Ten minutes before the lunch break was over, Amy returned   
to the set. She had always made it a habit to be one of the   
first back so she could set her mind to the task at hand. It   
made for an easier return to work for the rest of the crew   
and cast if she already knew what needed to be done and   
what should be done beforehand.  
  
The moment she walked into the room, a phone rang. Since   
she was the only one there, she rushed over to answer it.  
  
"Anderson, here," she answered in a profession tone.  
  
"I knew you'd be here," a male voice answered back in an   
amused voice. "You and your ten minute rule."  
  
"G.Q.," she said with a grin. "Nice to hear from you again."  
  
"Melvin told me that you might have some work for me. The   
'Total Eclipse' script, right?" he replied. "I told him that I'd   
call you back later with a reply, seeing that you had already   
went to lunch. Anyway, what is really piqueing my interest   
is this 'might' that you added in your request. As far as I've   
known you, you've rarely used the word 'might'. You either   
had something, or you didn't. What's the deal?"  
  
"I'll explain more once you come down here on Thursday,"   
she told him. "But what I can tell you is that I want the   
script revised so that our supporting actor gets just as   
much screen time as our star. Try to write it out so that   
there could be a possibility for a sequel, if this goes out   
as planned."  
  
There was a pause on G.Q.'s end. "Hmm... that's a lot for   
just 'might', Amy. Are you sure you're not absolutely   
certain about this? From the sound of things, I'd say you   
are."  
  
"To be perfectly honest, Greg, I am sure," she answered.   
"There's just a matter of confirming it, though."  
  
"I see," he replied. "Then, I'll be down there on Thursday."  
  
"Good," she said and was just about to say goodbye   
when G.Q. spoke again.  
  
"Have you talked to Jason, yet," he asked in a slightly   
concerned tone. Amy froze slightly, and gave a small sigh.   
"I suppose not," he continued. "And he's supposed to be   
down there sometime this week, him and his sister, to go   
over stunt coordination. Amy, you know the only reason   
he never says anything is because he believes those   
rumors about you and I being a couple. I know him, he'd   
never try to step between two people even if he wanted   
to. He's too firmly convinced and I can't convince him   
otherwise and neither can Lita. It has to be you."  
  
Jason Evans and his twin sister, Lita Evans, both   
worked as professional stunt coordinators and stuntpersons.   
They were the best at what they did, which was why they   
always hired themselves out with the condition that they   
worked together on the same film. Always. If you didn't   
hire both, neither one would accept. It was that   
eccentricity that made them stand out just as much as   
their acclaimed skill at stunts. To everyone else, those   
reasons alone were enough to hire them; Jason to double   
for Darien, and Lita to double for Serena.  
  
There was another reason, unknown to many people - and   
Amy preferred it that way - as to why she had hired the   
Evans twins. She had a huge crush on Jason, which she   
had managed to hide from the public eye. Only she, G.Q.,   
and Lita knew about it, just as they were the only ones to   
know about his crush on her. She wasn't really supposed   
to know about it, but G.Q. told her when he found out from   
Lita. Not that that knowledge did much good to her right now.  
  
Amy gave another sigh as she shook her head. Talk to him?   
Easier said than done. Whenever she did manage to work   
up enough nerve to speak to him, he gave her one of   
those beautiful smiles of his that tended to strike her   
breathless and forget almost everything except work-related   
matters. She was lucky she could manage to keep herself   
from blushing where anyone could see. He was a   
handsome - no, sexy - man, and that smile of his made it   
more so. She was happy to note that he gave those smiles   
only to her, and just as happy that no one else seemed to   
notice that fact.  
  
If she could just stop worrying about how Jason would   
take it, or how Hollywood would take it without blowing it   
out of proportion.... If she could just stop those rumors   
about her and G.Q. without making any undue public   
spectacles.... If she could just work up enough nerve to   
talk to him without forgetting what she wanted to say   
whenever he gave her one of his special smiles.... If.   
Too many ifs for her liking.  
  
"I'll... think about it," Amy replied reluctantly, which   
received a sigh from G.Q. He'd heard that before,   
several times, from her. He knew she'd put it off again,   
saying she was too busy and she forgot. The trouble   
was that she wasn't sure whether he knew the real   
reason why, or if he truly thought that she did forget...   
again.  
  
"Okay," he relented. "Well, I'll let you get back to work,   
which is in about... five minutes. Later, Amy."  
  
"Goodbye, Greg," she said with a smile and hung up   
the phone. Shaking her head again, this time in   
exasperation at her own foolish desires, she took a   
quick walk around the set, checking everything in   
preparation for the next scene.  
  
**********************************************  
  
Melvin sighed as his stomach grumbled. He would have   
to forget his lunch at home, wouldn't he?  
  
A honk outside his office window caught his attention. He   
walked over to the window and glanced outside. He   
recognized that car. What was Molly doing here? She   
was supposed to be in bed today, resting.  
  
He hurried out of his office and rushed outside, just as   
Molly was slowly exiting out of the car with a bundle in   
her hands. He noticed that she wasn't wearing her usual   
hair ribbon and her red hair seemed longer as it fell to   
just short of her shoulders.  
  
"What are you doing here?" he demanded as he hurried   
to her side. "You're still sick! Why didn't you stay in bed?   
You'll make me worry about you."  
  
She smiled fondly at her husband as she gave him a   
small peck on the cheek. "You forgot your lunch, silly,"   
she said in her slight Japanese accent as she handed   
him his lunch. "You shouldn't worry so much," she added   
admonishingly. "I'm not as sick as you think I am."  
  
"But, you could catch pneumonia, or bronchitis, or...."  
  
She silenced him with a kiss on the lips. "I'm not frail,   
dear," she chided laughingly. "I should be back to full   
health by tomorrow. The day after, I can return to helping   
you with your work. By the way, how is Darien doing? I   
still feel sorry for having to terminate his employment on   
Serena's demand."  
  
"He's doing very well," he told her eagerly. "Amy and I   
think he's a keeper. As soon as G.Q. agrees to come   
and work on revising the script, then this movie will really   
take off."  
  
Molly nodded happily. "I'm so glad for him. He seemed to   
be the kind of person has been struggling with life for a   
while, and my firing him didn't seem to help matters.   
Perhaps once I am well enough to return, then I can   
formally apologize to him. I hope he's not still upset...."  
  
"Nonsense," Melvin assured her. "He won't be upset. I'm   
positive he'll forgive you if he hasn't already." He gave   
her a warm hug, then steered her toward her car. "Now,   
love, I thank you for bringing me my lunch, but you need   
to be in bed resting."  
  
She laughed softly at his urging. "Very well, dearest, I   
shall return home, as you wish. I still say you're worrying   
too much." She stepped into the car and closed the   
door behind her. "I'll see you when you come home,"   
she said through the open window.  
  
Melvin nodded. "I love you, Molly," he said fondly.  
  
"And I love you," she replied as she shifted the car into   
reverse, backed out, and drove off.  
  
He stared after the car, then glanced down at the bundle   
in his hands. Shaking his head in fond exasperation, he   
returned to his office to finally enjoy his lunch.  
  
**********************************************  
  
The sounds of people coming back to work filled the set   
as Darien and Serena walked back into the building. The   
two of them had arrived back at the lot at the same time,   
even though Serena had left earlier. He wondered about   
that, but wisely refrained from asking anything. No need   
to give her any reason to be angry at him.  
  
A careful glance over at Serena walking next to him   
showed that she no longer wore an angry look on her   
face whenever she was in the same room with him, let   
alone walking beside him. He noticed that she was very   
beautiful when she wasn't furious. Then again, now that   
he thought about it, she was beautiful even when she   
was furious. Maybe all that apprehension toward her just   
kept him from seeing it.  
  
"Something happen while you two were gone?" Amy's   
voice asked behind them. They both turned to see the   
director giving them a thoughtful look. "I'm surprised   
Serena's let you come within ten yards of her, let alone   
one foot."  
  
"We've come to an agreement, Anderson," Serena   
answered coolly. "Since we're obviously going to be   
working together for some time, I thought I'd cut him   
some slack. Besides, Shields, here, has promised to   
repay me for the damages to my dress, among other   
things."  
  
"I see," Amy replied thoughtfully. "Well, that's very   
magnanimous of you."  
  
"There's no need for sarcasm," Serena said   
defensively. "I can be nice to people if I wanted to.   
Just ask Shields, here...." She paused as she noticed   
that he had gone on ahead. "Dammit, Shields! What   
do you think you're doing, just walkin' off like that!"   
She rushed off after him, yelling at him the whole time.  
  
Amy rubbed the back of her head in bewilderment.   
Something was going on between those two, but the   
end result was far beyond what what she could guess.   
Something told her that she really didn't want to know.  
  
She gave up trying to puzzle out the situation between   
Serena and Darien and went back to work, shouting   
out orders for the preparation of the next scene.  
  
**********************************************  
  
It was absolute darkness everywhere he looked. The place   
had no windows and no lights on. Seeing that it was three   
in the morning, the absence of lighting was to be expected.  
  
Cramped within the tight confines of a ventalation shaft, Jed   
mentally went over the plan for this first procurement again.   
He had arrived here in Madrid, Spain a few days ago, where   
he had immediately left to find this museum, which was   
practically all but unknown to the world at large, and check   
it out. The security system was third-rate, but enough to   
stop an amateur thief. For him, it was a cakewalk.  
  
There was two security cameras watching the display;   
night-vision enabled, he realized from the total lack of light.   
A small ring of infrared laser beams surrounded the display,   
evident from the emitters he noticed ringing the display on   
the floor. Not a bad attempt at security, but still a very   
feeble one.  
  
Very carefully, he inched his way forward, toward the   
ventilation grate covering the shaft. After cutting all but   
one of the screws holding it in, he silently let it slide down   
so that it hung down against the wall. The idiots forgot to   
install cameras at the other end of the room, so his work   
remained unseen.  
  
Next, he pulled out a small electronic device from a pouch   
on his belt. This device would send a small radio signal that   
would jam the optical transmitter circuitry in the camera,   
causing it to repeat its last transmission and effectively   
"freeze" the current picture on the security display monitor.   
Their second mistake: they placed one of their cameras too   
close to the ventilation shaft. All he had to do was reach out   
and attach the device onto the camera. One down, one to go.  
  
He pulled out a telescopic pole and attached the second   
device to the tip. Slowly and cautiously, he extended the   
pole until the device was just under the camera. This one   
had some very strong double-sided tape attached to it. All   
he had to do was make sure the device didn't fall off until   
he was long gone from here.  
  
After attaching the second device and counting slowly to   
fifty before he was sure that the device didn't fall off, he   
silently slipped out of the ventilation shaft and into the   
room. The night vision goggles he wore made sure that   
he didn't bump into anything.  
  
The next part was tricky. He had to remove the item   
from the display without tripping the alarm, which meant   
that he had to avoid those infrared beams. Apparently,   
whoever designed this part of the security system had   
a good idea: the beams were so close together that   
trying to take out the item would trip the alarm. No   
matter. He had a plan for this, too.  
  
He reached behind his back and pulled out the   
collapsed structure that he had strapped there. It   
unfolded into a device with mirrors positioned in just   
the right angles that one of the beams would be   
diverted and remain unbroken, even if it did have   
to travel a longer path. The structure was carefully   
slid into place avoiding all but the one beam it was   
meant to shift. Success! There was a hole big enough   
for his hand to reach in and take out the item.  
  
After placing the procured item into one of his empty   
pouches, he quickly recollapsed the structure and   
climbed backwards into the ventilation shaft. The   
jamming devices would have to remain, since there   
was no way for him to remove them with out giving   
himself away. He pulled the grate up and secured it   
with a bent paper clip. It was crude, but a cursory   
glance would show nothing was wrong. He quickly,   
but cautiously, crawled backwards out of the shaft   
and back the way he came. He got what he had   
come for.  
  
**********************************************  
  
"Sir, phone for you," a butler said as he stood in the   
doorway of the bathroom, while holding a cordless   
phone in his right hand. "A mister Jed, I believe his   
name was. He's calling from Madrid."  
  
Max was taking a leisurely bath when his butler   
entered. It was a huge ornately designed bathroom   
with a porcelain bathtub built inside the floor in the   
center of the room. Beautifully woven curtains of fine   
silk surrounded the bathtub. Not exactly a choice fabric   
for bath curtains, but he never splashed when bathing.   
A huge gilded mirror stood above a black marble counter   
with bronze fixtures installed above the sink carved   
within. Two windows at the other end of the room were   
placed on each side of the white stone balcony with its   
intricate carvings lining the balustrade. The doors to the   
balcony were open so that he could enjoy the beauty   
of the city lights before him, laid out against the   
background of a field of stars. Such small things tended   
to soothe him every now and then.  
  
"I'll take it here," he said, holding out his hand behind him   
without turning from his view of the outside. "Thank you,"   
he said once the phone was placed in his hand. "I'll   
replace it myself. Oh, and while you're leaving, could you   
please remove those?" He gestured toward the clothes   
he had discarded before stepping into the bath. "I would   
appreciate it."  
  
"Very well, sir," the butler replied with a curteous bow. It   
was never a stiff, perfunctory one as he tended to treat   
his personal employees with more respect than the ones   
at work. Besides, it made for a more pleasant living   
environment. He picked up the clothes then left, closing   
the door behind him.  
  
"Talk to me," Max said once he was alone.  
  
"It's done," came the quick reply.  
  
"Great," he said in a satisfied tone. "That's one. How long   
do you think until you can get the other five?"  
  
"Well, the red one is in my possession now," Jed began.   
"The orange one is in Washington in some private collection.   
The yellow one has always been in you possession, so I   
don't need to get that one. The green one is up in another   
private collection in Vancouver. The blue one is in a museum   
display in Tokyo. The indigo one is in another private display   
in Hong Kong, and the violet one is in another museum   
display in Sydney. It shouldn't take longer than a couple of   
weeks."  
  
"Take as long as you need, but don't take too long," Max told   
him. "By the way, any particular reason why you're procuring   
these crystals in spectral order? I would think you'd go get   
the closest ones first."  
  
"It's just a whimsy of mine," Jed replied offhandedly. "Geniuses   
like myself tend to have their quirks."  
  
"A genius, now, are you?" Max laughed. "Well, pertaining to   
your work, I suppose you are one at that. I see no problem   
letting you satisfying your whimsies. Just as long as the job   
is done satisfactorily, that is. I'll be waiting for your report on   
the next crystal."  
  
"Understood," Jed replied and hung up.  
  
Max turned off the phone and laid it on the floor beside him.   
He was now in the possession of two of the seven Nijizuishou   
crystals. Once he was in possession of all seven, then the   
next phase of his plan could come into fruition. A smile spread   
across his face as he slowly submerged himself into the warm   
bath waters, letting the soothing warmth soak into him. Soon.  
  
Very soon.  
  
**********************************************  
  
Author's Note: I know, I know, but I just couldn't help but bring   
in my character from my own fic. I consider Jason to be a   
sort of 'signature' character; it ain't really 'my' fic unless he's in   
there somewhere. ^_^ I guess that's my ego talking. *shrugs*   
But, hey, why not? It sorta fits anyway, so it couldn't hurt.   
Next chapter: It's the following day and Jack Terrance pays a   
visit to the L.A.P.D., but it's not a social call. Diane Silver visits   
with an old friend of hers and the second Nijizuishou crystal   
is targeted.   
  
Disclaimer: All original materials belong to their respective   
owners. Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi and a bunch   
of big companies. No copyright infringement is intended. This   
story belongs to Moonsong and myself, and I would appreciate   
you emailing her or myself for permission before posting it   
anywhere else. Thank you.  
  
Prologue Copyright © January 24, 2000 Moonsong.  
Other Chapters Copyright © August 12, 2000 Jason Ulloa.   
All Rights Reserved. 


	10. Chapter 9

Seeing Stars  
By Jason Ulloa  
Original story by Moonsong  
Continued with her permission.  
  
  
Chapter 9  
  
"Okay, people, that was very good," Amy shouted as the scene   
ended. "I think that'll do it for today. I hope we can maintain   
this level of performance tomorrow. Be here at around 9am."  
  
A huge racket arose as people started clean-up. The grips   
hurriedly gathered up most of the props and other assorted   
items while the actors began to migrate towards the exits; some   
in small clusters, talking amongst themselves.  
  
"A great day today. Right, Amy?" Melvin asked as he strode over   
to her. "Everything went unbelievably smooth today. A shame it   
can't always go like today, but we can always hope.  
  
"So, how'd everything go with G.Q.? Is he doing the script?" he   
asked eagerly.  
  
She nodded. "He'll be over the day after tomorrow."  
  
"Thursday, huh?" he repeated to himself thoughtfully. "Well,   
I'm sure that by then we'll have a very good idea of how well   
our newest star will perform. The question will be how well   
Serena and Darien will work together."  
  
Amy nodded. "Yes, that's one of my concerns, too. Serena's a   
professional, but there's no telling whether she'll be able to   
handle her emotions around Darien. Supposedly, she's going to   
give Darien a chance to 'redeem' himself in her eyes. I just   
wish I knew why she acts the way she does around him."  
  
Melvin sighed and shook his head as he patted her comfortingly   
on her shoulder. "Well, there's no use in worrying about it   
anymore for today. I, for one, am looking forward to going home.   
Molly's getting much better, and I think she'll be well enough   
to be out and about very soon."  
  
Amy smiled as she laughed softly. "At least you have someone to   
go home to. I fear it's another night alone for me," she added   
with a sigh.  
  
"Oh, don't say that," he said consolingly. "You could always   
come over and spend some time with us. Molly'd love to have you   
over."  
  
"No, that's all right," she declined gratefully. "I appreciate   
the offer, though. I'm used to spending nights by myself at   
home. Go home," she urged him. "Your wife's waiting for you."  
  
"Well, if you insist...," he said reluctantly. "Just remember,   
you're always welcome to spend some time with us if you want."   
With that, he turned and walked away toward the exit.  
  
Amy stayed until the last crew member left the set, watching   
everyone as they left. Some crew members who didn't drive   
themselves home were picked up by friends, others by family   
members - husbands or wives - who were always greeted with a   
loving hug, sometimes accompanied with a tender kiss. After the   
last person left, she walked over toward the exit, shutting   
down the lights as she went. At the door, she cut off the last   
group of lights and shut the door behind her. With a heavy sigh,   
she trudged over to her car, got in, and drove home.  
  
**********************************************  
  
Darien stopped by The Crown on the way home. He just had to tell   
Andrew about his new job. He knew that as soon as he found out,   
he would just flip. 'Nothing like having bragging rights when   
visiting a good friend,' he thought with a large grin.  
  
It was about 7pm, so The Crown would still be open for about two   
more hours. Good. He had a lot to tell him.  
  
"Hey, Dare!" Andrew greeted from behind the counter. "How was   
your new job? From the look on your face, it wasn't as bad as   
you thought is was going to be, was it?"  
  
"You'll never guess what happened at work today," Darien said   
as he sat at an empty stool and took the glass of soda Andrew   
handed him. You know how my acting stint was supposed to last   
about two weeks, right?"  
  
"Yeah," Andrew agreed with a nod. "With Serena Moon as one of   
the stars you'd be working with. So, did she remember the drink   
incident?"  
  
Darien's grin faultered slightly. "Um..., well, yes, she   
definitely remembered. I've agreed to pay her back for the   
damages to her dress, so she's not as mad at me as before.  
  
"Anyway, that's not what I had come over to tell you. The   
director and the producer of the movie both liked the work I've   
did today and offered to extend my part to a supporting actor."  
  
Andrew's jaw literally dropped. "You're joking," he said in   
disbelief.  
  
"No joke," Darien replied with a huge grin. "Isn't this great?   
This could really help my career to take off!"  
  
"It's definitly a great start," Andrew agreed, smiling as well.   
"Well, Dare, since it's not really busy tonight, why don't you   
fill me in on all the details?"  
  
Darien took a drink of his soda and gave off a small, relaxed   
sigh. "Sure thing, Andrew."  
  
**********************************************  
  
The next day, Serena woke with a slight headache. She didn't   
really sleep well last night for some reason. Today they would be   
going over Darien's next scene as well as her own. She doubted   
that they would be able to keep up the rate of progress that they   
had yesterday, but she could always hope.   
  
After a quick shower and a bite to eat, not to mention taking a   
few aspirins for her slight headache, she was dressed and out the   
door on the way to the set. Her mood was not exactly in its most   
cheerful, but she had a job to do. Maybe she should just lock   
herself up in her trailer until she was needed.  
  
"Hey, Serena!" a cheery voice called out from behind her. She   
turned around to see a old friend of hers walking up to her and   
waving.  
  
"Tanya!" she shouted back with a smile spreading across her face.   
"What're you doing here?"  
  
Tanya Cambridge was a good friend of hers from way back all the   
way to high school. Back then, they each knew that they wanted to   
be actresses. In fact, they both ended up in their first movie   
together, though neither one had a big role in it. Since then,   
they both have had successful acting careers.  
  
Tanya playfully tossed her jet black hair and grinned childishly.   
"Guess who's playing a part in your movie, girl?" the brown-  
skinned actress asked with a giggle.  
  
"You're kidding," Serena said in a tone mixed with surprise and   
delight. "What part did you get?"  
  
"I'm playing Tira Jenner," Tanya replied. "As for why I'm here, I   
just wanted to see the guy who's playing Jack. From the script, I   
take it he's gonna be a cutie." She noticed Serena grimacing and   
frowned in perplexity. "He... isn't cute?" she asked warily.  
  
"It's not that," Serena replied sourly. "It's just that I really   
didn't want to be reminded of that guy right now."  
  
"Don't tell me that he's a pig-headed, arrogant, jerk," she   
moaned. "I don't wanna work with another one of those. They always   
think they're oh-so-superior and that they can do no wrong and   
that they're God's gift to women. Ugh!" She shook her head in   
contempt and disgust.  
  
Serena couldn't help but laugh. "Luckily, he's not like that. Not   
yet, at least," she added in a flat tone.  
  
"You don't like the guy, do you?" Tanya asked thoughtfully.   
"What'd he do?"  
  
"Remember when I told you about that idiot from the last shoot   
who...?"  
  
"The one who spilled the drinks all over your...!" Tanya cut in,   
then gasped. "You mean...? Him? He's Jack Terrance? You never said   
that he was an actor, too."  
  
"Not until yesterday he wasn't," she said, her tone cold as ice.  
  
"Ooh!" Tanya said abruptly, staring at someone behind Serena.   
"He's cute!" Serena turned around and sighed. Just as she thought,   
there he was. "Oh, you know him?" she asked when she noticed her   
expression.  
  
"Yeah," she replied as she frowned. "That's Darien Shields. He's   
the one playing Jack."  
  
"Well, now," Tanya said with an approving grin. "I think they made   
the perfect choice in casting. Can he act?"  
  
"A little, so far," Serena said dismissively.  
  
"Say, why don't you introduce me to him?" she asked. "After all,   
we'll all be working together. I wanna chance to get to know him   
better, if you don't mind."  
  
"Why should I mind?" Serena replied. "Well, if you wanna meet him   
that's fine by me." She led Tanya over to where Darien was   
standing, looking over the set; his lips moving as if rehearsing   
his lines to himself.  
  
"Hey, Shields!" she called out to get his attention.  
  
Darien jerked slightly and turned toward them. "Oh, it's you," he   
said. "What is it, Serena?"  
  
Serena was about to ask him what he meant when he said 'Oh, it's   
you,' when she heard Tanya clear her throat behind her. Well, it   
looked like it was his lucky day today.  
  
"I just wanted to introduce you to a friend of mine, Shields," she   
replied flatly. "She wanted to say hi. Shields, this is Tanya   
Cambridge. Tanya, this is Shields."  
  
"Darien," he amended as he extended his hand to Tanya. "I've seen   
some of your movies, Miss Cambridge. I liked each one of them."  
  
"Flatterer. Just Tanya will be fine, Darien," she said as she   
placed her hand in his. Darien bowed over her hand and gently   
kissed the back of it. Tanya giggled over his gentlemanly act   
while Serena rolled her eyes.  
  
"There aren't many gentlemen left in Hollywood," Tanya said with a   
quick, meaningful glance toward Serena. Serena just pretended not   
to notice. "Anyway, I'm going to enjoy working with you on this   
movie."  
  
"Me, too, Tanya," Darien replied.  
  
"Oh, I see you've met Tanya, Darien," Amy said as she walked up to   
the group. "Anyway, we're ready for the next scene. You up to it?"  
  
"Of course, Amy," he replied. "You two coming?"  
  
"Sure," Tanya answered eagerly. "Serena?"  
  
"Oh..., why not," Serena replied with a diffident shrug.   
"Somebody's gotta make sure you don't screw up."  
  
**********************************************  
  
Jack walked up the steps to the police station precinct and opened   
the door. As usual, it was a bustle of activity inside. There were   
officers filling out reports as well as one or two taking   
fingerprints. Here and there people sat, gloomily waiting to hear   
what would happen to them, or what would be done about their   
problems.  
  
"So, the great detective returns to us yet again," a female voice   
called out. "I take it you wanna see the chief... or, is this a   
social call?"  
  
"You know I can't stay away from your pretty face, Christy," he   
replied with a smirk.  
  
"Of course, not," she replied with a playful wink. "You know where   
he is. He's just finishing up some important paperwork. You know,   
same old, same old."  
  
"Thanks," he said with his most charming smile. "Oh, and here's a   
little something I got for you." He reached into his inside jacket   
pocket and pulled out a single red rose and handed it to her.  
  
"Oh, it's beautiful," she said gratefully as she took the rose and   
smiled at him. "Get going, you flirt. And don't think that this'll   
get me to tell you any classified information, Jack."  
  
"Of course not," he agreed as he headed over to the chief's   
office. 'Of course, any other information would be helpful   
should I need any,' he thought to himself.  
  
"Come in," came the hoarse reply after Jack knocked on the door.   
As he opened it, he could see a small stack of reports placed at   
one corner of the desk with other, single reports scattered   
haphazardly on the surface of the desk, each one open to a   
different page.  
  
"Ah, Terrance!" the middle-aged, dark-skinned man sitting behind   
the desk said in greeting.  
  
"Chief Garret," Jack greeted back with a polite nod. Police Chief   
Kendric Garret was 48 years old with a 27 year old service record.   
He had spent more years as a cop than Jack had been alive. Back in   
the prime of his career, he was the best of what the L.A.P.D. had   
to offer. Most of his subordinates and the police officers under   
them still thought so.  
  
"So, I take it you've got something you want to bring to my   
attention, Jack?" he asked, gesturing toward the folder Jack held   
underneath his arm. "And, you can just call me Kendric, or Ken, if   
you prefer. It's not like you're one of my officers... well, not   
anymore."  
  
"Sorry, old habit, I guess," he replied with a shrug. "Still, I   
hope you don't mind if I still call you Chief. I'm more   
comfortable with that."  
  
"If you wish," Garret said, dismissing the matter with a wave of   
his hand. "Now, what is it you wanted to see me about?"  
  
"I've come across a possible case of embezzlement during a case I   
was investigating. The usual cheating husband/wife deal. Anyway,   
I noted a point in one conversation where the cheating husband was   
conspiring with the woman he was seeing in an attempt to clean out   
the safe of the woman's employer. At least, that was the   
impression I got from the conversation. All the details are in   
that folder with a full report."  
  
"Another report," Garret muttered with a sigh. "Not that I'm   
ungrateful for this, Jack, but I've been looking over reports all   
morning. Well, I suppose one more won't kill me. You can just   
leave it with me and I'll get to it when I'm done with... this,"   
he said as he gestured toward the mess on his desk.  
  
"Thanks, Chief," he replied as he dropped the folder onto the   
desk. "If you want, I can continue on this case, seeing that most   
of your men are tied up in your current drug bust operation.   
You know my fees already."  
  
Garret's eyes widened in surprise for a moment, then he started to   
chuckle as he remembered the folders on his desk. "Observant, as   
always, eh, Terrance?" he laughed. "Well, you're right; all my   
officers are tied up in current cases or in this bust." He   
pointedly tapped on the reports on his desk. "I'm short on   
manpower to keep tabs on this, so I don't see why not. This's   
right up your alley anyways."  
  
A thoughtful expression clouded his face for a moment. "Say, Jack,   
I can't help but wonder why you've chosen this line of work. I   
know why you've quit the force, but becoming a private detective?   
Your skills are wasted on such petty things like keeping tabs on   
cheating husbands."  
  
Jack's expression grew somber. "I'm not coming back, Chief.   
Working for the police is as close as I'm coming, but I won't come   
back. I'm sorry."  
  
"So am I, Jack," Garret replied soberly. "So am I."  
  
With that, Jack gave him a polite nod and left the office, closing   
the door behind him. "Besides," he wispered into the empty   
hallway, "it was all my fault."  
  
**********************************************  
  
"All right!" Amy shouted. "That'll do it. Take a five minute   
break, then get ready for the next scene."  
  
"How'd I do this time?" Darien asked as he joined, Amy, Serena,   
and Tanya.  
  
"Great!" Tanya exclaimed. "Are you sure you've never been an actor   
before?"  
  
"You were okay, Shields," Serena admitted. "I guess you've been   
practicing really hard last night, huh?"  
  
Amy shook her head and sighed patiently at Serena's remarks. "That   
was good, Darien. You can take it easy until your next scene with   
Tanya. Now," she added, turning to Serena, "are you ready for your   
scene?"  
  
"Always ready," Serena replied confidently. "You know that."  
  
"I would expect nothing less from you, Serena," Amy replied with a   
nod.  
  
**********************************************  
  
To Chapter 10  
  
**********************************************  
  
Author's Note: First of all, I know it's been practically forever   
since I last wrote a chapter for this fic and I'm sorry for the   
delay. I had technical difficulties. Well, better late than never,   
right? Anyway, I'd like to give a great big thank-you hug to   
Sharon Williams, a.k.a. Hoshino Ai, for giving me permission to   
use her character, Tanya Cambridge, a.k.a. Sailor Sirius in my   
fic. Heh, it's beginning to become an all-star cast over here.   
^_^ Next chapter: Diane Silver meets with an old friend; Jack   
Terrance gets ready to begin his investigation; and the second   
Nijizuishou crystal is targeted.  
  
Disclaimer: All original materials belong to their respective   
owners. Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi and a bunch   
of big companies. No copyright infringement is intended. This   
story belongs to Moonsong and myself, and I would appreciate   
you emailing her or myself for permission before posting it   
anywhere else. Thank you.  
  
Prologue Copyright © January 24, 2000 Moonsong.  
Other Chapters Copyright © August 12, 2000 Jason Ulloa.   
All Rights Reserved. 


	11. Chapter 10

Seeing Stars  
By Jason Ulloa  
Original story by Moonsong  
Continued with her permission.  
  
  
Chapter 10  
  
Near the top of a steep mountain road, sat a fairly-sized   
country mansion. From what Diane knew of the occupants of that   
mansion, the building wasn't that big to begin with. In fact,   
it started off as just another country house away from the city.   
The owner of the mansion, Souichi Tomoe, was a friend of the   
family. She loved to stop by every now and then, and visit, like   
today.  
  
Diane drove up to the front gate and pressed the button   
underneath the intercom. It was one of those that was built onto   
a curved metal pole so that all the visitor had to do was roll   
down the window and talk out through the car window without   
opening the door.  
  
"Who is it?" a female voice asked on the other end.  
  
Diane knew that voice. "It's just me, Ms. Olinite."  
  
"Ah, Miss Silver. You've come to see Professor Tomoe again?" she   
said in a pleasant voice. "Let me just open the gates for you.   
Just a moment, please." A few seconds later, the gates opened   
with noiseless ease. Tomoe always did like everything to be   
well maintained. She quickly parked her car and made her way to   
the front door where someone was waiting for her.  
  
Kaye Olinite was not only Tomoe's assistant, but she was also   
his 'domestic manager', as she liked to term it. She basically   
took care of the place whenever he was too busy. Of course, she   
didn't do everything - the whole mansion, not to mention the   
outside gardens, was too big for one person - but she did a   
great deal. One of the main reasons Diane thought she put up with   
so much work was because she had a crush on Tomoe. It would also   
explain the reason why she always wore such exquisite red dresses   
that matched the color of her hair; not to mention the plunging   
neckline that exposed a good deal of cleavage, though not enough   
to be considered indecent.  
  
"Welcome again, Miss Silver," Kaye greeted again. "Professor   
Tomoe is in the middle of one of his experiments right now. If   
you would be so kind as to wait here, I shall go tell him you're   
here." She gave Diane a polite nod and left. Polite and formal   
were two of Kaye's personality quirks. The only time she seemed   
able to truly drop her formality was when she was around Tomoe.  
  
Diane glanced around the room. Although she had been here several   
times before, she couldn't help but admire the place. It had gone   
through several changes through the years as Tomoe occasionally   
expanded. The maple staircases on either side of the foyer led up   
to the second floor where everyone lived. Even Kaye had a room up   
there, since the mansion was a long way from the city. There was   
a long, plush, purple carpet running from the entrance to a set   
of double doors at the opposite end of the foyer, leading to the   
dining room. There were also doors lining both sides of the   
foyer, leading to other rooms or hallways leading to other parts   
of the mansion. The bottom half of the room was unadorned maple,   
just like the staircases. The top half, though, was painted the   
purest white Diane had ever seen. Hanging from the ceiling was a   
delicate crystal chandelier which looked like it took years to   
create due to the dozens of small crystals circling around the   
center, one ring inside another, and one on top of another. There   
was only one 50 Watt light bulb in the center, but when the light   
was refracted and reflected through the numerous crystals, it   
could light up the huge room easily with a breathtaking display   
of light made art.  
  
"Diane-oneesama!" a young girl shouted from the top of the right   
staircase. "I thought I saw your car from my window!"  
  
"Hotaru-chan!" Diane greeted happily. Hotaru Tomoe was a slender,   
fragile-looking girl, and indeed, she had been weak and fragile   
when she was younger. Now, just a month past her 18th birthday,   
she had finally strengthened herself to the physical ability of a   
normal girl her age... with a little help from Diane. "It's good   
to see you again. What's new?"  
  
Hotaru all but hurtled down the stairs and almost ran over Diane   
as she gave her dear friend a hug. "You'll never guess what   
happened a few days ago!" she blurted out in an excited rush; her   
slight Japanese accent clipping some of the words short.  
  
"What?" she asked with a small grin. "A cute boy ask you out on a   
date, or something?"  
  
Hotaru's eyes widened. "How'd you know that?" she asked with a   
confounded expression on her face. "Did Dad tell you?"  
  
This time it was Diane's turn to be surprised. "You're serious? A   
cute boy asked you out?"  
  
"Hai, hai," Hotaru agreed, nodding excitedly. "He's a new transfer   
student to my school. His family came from Japan, like we did. He   
said my accent reminded him of back home." She sighed dreamily.   
"He's so cute! His name's Ryoku Kino and he's the same age I am!"  
  
Diane couldn't help but smile. "I'm so happy for you, Hotaru-  
chan!" she said, giving the younger girl another hug. "So, when's   
the first date?"  
  
"Saturday night," she replied. "Dad's letting me stay out late   
that night. He finally thinks I'm mature enough to take care of   
myself."  
  
"Saturday night, huh?" Diane repeated thoughtfully. "So you've got   
to get ready for tomorrow, then. You've got plans on where you two   
are going?"  
  
"Ryoku's taking me to this club out in the city," she replied.   
"It's supposed to be a great place to go out dancing, or so I've   
heard. He says he's a pretty good dancer, but I want to see it for   
myself," she added with a wink.  
  
Diane nodded; she knew the place she was talking about. It never   
got too rowdy due to the fact that it was more tailored to dancing   
than to serving alcohol, like most of the others. She was a little   
impressed by Hotaru's date's choice in location.  
  
"Miss Silver," Kaye said as she walked back into the room,   
"Professor Tomoe is a little busy with his experiment and can't   
leave it right now."  
  
"I see," Diane said, slightly disappointed.  
  
"Instead, he's asked if you wouldn't mind joining him while he   
finishes up what he's doing," Kaye finished.  
  
"Oh," she replied. "Well, I wouldn't mind."  
  
"I'm coming, too," Hotaru added. "I haven't seen Dad all day today   
and I wanna say hi."  
  
Kaye nodded. "Well, if you'd please follow me?" she asked and   
turned to leave throught one of the doors at the side of the room.   
Diane and Hotaru wasted no time in follwing her.  
  
She led them through one of the long hallways that circled around   
what used to be the orignal outside wall of the old house. The last   
time she had asked Tomoe about the layout of his mansion, he told   
her that since some of the rooms were used as the labratories of   
some of his various experiments, they were intentionally isolated   
in case any hazardous accidents should occur. The rest of the   
mansion was just add-on rooms: libraries, studies, entertainment   
rooms, an interior pool, and so on. Working freelance for various   
multi-million dollar companies definitely had its advantages.  
  
Kaye stopped in front of a door at the end of the hallway. "In the   
room beyond this one is a clean room. We're going to have to put on   
some special clothing before going in."  
  
Hotaru nodded as if it was nothing new to her, opened the door, and   
walked in with Kaye following behind her. Diane just shrugged as   
she followed. When she saw them grabbing some white, plastic-  
like clothing and shoes, she looked for a pair for herself. She   
spotted a spare garment on a rack behind Hotaru, so she grabbed it.  
  
"Will this fit?" she asked.  
  
"That one's a multi-sized clean suit," Kaye explained. "Professor   
Tomoe keeps at least one in each clean room should he get visitors,   
like yourself. The suit's adjustable; just tighten this strap right   
here." She pointed at a strap hanging at her waist. Diane wasted   
little time in getting into the suit, though she had just a little   
trouble at first.  
  
"They take some getting used to," Hotaru commented with a small   
giggle. Diane scowled at her, which made her giggle more.  
  
"Now that you have the suit on," Kaye continued when Diane was   
done, "put on the shoes. They go over your own shoes, so you don't   
have to take them off. The legs go underneath the legs of your   
suit. There are buttons on the sides of the shoes that go with the   
ones on the suit." Diane buttoned up the legs so that nothing was   
sagging. "Good," she continued. "Now grab a cap and a mask and a   
pair of gloves. The caps and gloves fit any size and you need to   
put all your hair inside the cap. Also, make sure the mask covers   
your nose and mouth. It doesn't have to fit perfectly, but it does   
have to cover your nose and mouth. Ready?" she asked after Diane   
had finished.  
  
"Yeah," she replied.  
  
"Let's go," Hotaru added. She had been ready long before she had   
been, but she had done this many more times before.  
  
Kaye nodded wordlessly and opened the door to let them in. As soon   
as Diane stepped inside, she began to shiver slightly.  
  
"Oooh! It's so cold in here!" she commented.  
  
"A lot of electrical equipment runs in here constantly," Kaye said   
over her shoulder as she continued looking for Tomoe. "It keeps   
everything from overheating."  
  
"I only use it in the rooms that have running equipment," a male   
voice said overhead. "You couldn't imagine the price of my   
electrical bills!"  
  
"Dad!" Hotaru called out, glacing up overhead. "Where are you?"  
  
"Up here, Hotaru-chan," Tomoe said. As soon as he spoke, a hand   
waved past at the top of some black, metal structure.  
  
"Ah, there you are, Souichi-san!" Diane shouted from below.  
  
"Diane-san!" Tomoe shouted back. "So you're the visitor Kaye told   
me was here to see me. I'll be right down as soon as I finish up   
this last bit of programming... got it! Okay, I'm done! I'm coming   
down!"  
  
Tomoe stood up from where he was leaning over and shut the door   
that covered whatever he was working on. Diane noticed that he had   
pocketed something as he straighted himself. Tomoe adjusted his   
glasses, then started to descend the nearby ladder. "Kaye, would   
you please contact Mr. Jade and tell him that the final one has   
been completed?" he asked as he climbed down. "After that, would   
you mind joining us in the first floor study?"  
  
"Of course, Souichi-san," Kaye said eagerly as she hurried out.  
  
Diane glanced over at Hotaru, who just rolled her eyes. Of course,   
Hotaru might not be too keen on some woman trying to get too close   
to her father, but she didn't seem to dislike Kaye, either. Either   
way, Diane wasn't about to pry.  
  
"What do you say we get out of this cold room?" he asked as soon   
as his feet touched the floor.  
  
"I'm all for it!" Diane said enthusiastically. "Lead the way!"  
  
Tomoe chuckled. "Of course, Diane-san," he said in an amused tone   
as he bowed his assent.  
  
**********************************************  
  
"Okay!" Amy shouted as the scene ended. "Places for the next   
scene!"  
  
"That's our cue," Tanya said with a grin as she gave Darien a   
playful nudge with her elbow. "You ready?"  
  
"All set," he confirmed with a nod.  
  
"Then, let's get to it," she said with a grin.  
  
**********************************************  
  
Jack trudged into his office, dead on his feet. He would've gone   
home, but the office was closer. Either way, he didn't care at that   
moment.  
  
"Long night, Jack?" a female voice asked from across the room.  
  
"You could say so, Tira," he replied after stifling a yawn. "I've   
been up all night keeping tabs on Erwight. So far nothing as to   
what he and his girlfriend are up to, but tomorrow's another day."  
  
Tira sighed. "I figured as much. By the way, Elanye came by   
yesterday and paid her bill with us, and Chief Garret called me to   
let me know about the details of your little deal you made   
yesterday." She shook her head as she sighed again. "Look, you're   
too tired, Jack. I knew you'd either go home or come here, so I   
made up a little cot for you in the back. Get some rest."  
  
Jack blinked as he looked at Tira. She was only 19, but by the way   
she held herself, one would think she was ten years older and ten   
inches taller by the way she was looking down at him now. She had   
been that way for as long as he knew her, even before he agreed to   
let her work for him as a secretary. She could be very persuasive   
when she wanted to be. She combed one chocolate-brown hand through   
her long, jet black hair irritably as she tapped her foot in ire;   
the expression on her face showing some slight exasperasion.  
  
"Thank you, Ti," she said as he headed for the back of the office.   
"You'll let me know if anything important comes up?"  
  
Tira gave him a glaring look. "I've been your secretary for over   
a year now," she said sarcastically, folding her arms angrily over   
her chest. "You would think that I would have the routine down by   
now."  
  
Jack blinked in surprise. "Oh... uh, sorry about that, Ti. You know   
I didn't mean it like that."  
  
She dropped her arms to her side as she shook her head penitently.   
"I know you didn't mean it like that, Jack," she said as she walked   
over to him and gave him a hug. "I'm sorry for snapping at you like   
that. It's just that... your case wasn't the only thing I talked to   
Chief Garret about," she admitted as she slowly started to cry.  
  
"What do you...," he began when it hit him. "Oh. Listen, Ti, I've   
told you time and again why I'm not going back to being a cop. I   
don't want to keep repeating myself on this. You know how hard it   
is for me to remember."  
  
"You think it's not hard for me?!?" Tira all but screamed through   
her tears. "You think you're the only one with a scar on your   
heart? You think I don't know why you quit? I know exactly why you   
quit and I still think you're wrong! If Daddy were still here, he'd   
tell you the exact same thing and you know it!"  
  
Jack sighed sadly. "I was there, you weren't. I know what happened,   
you know what everyone else has told you. Maybe your father could've   
convinced me differently, but I can't." He bent down slightly to give   
Tira a small kiss on her forehead. "I'm sorry, Ti. Now, I'm going   
to get some rest, okay?"  
  
Tira choked back the rest of her tears as she wiped away the tears   
already on her face. "All right," she agreed as she gave him one   
last squeeze then let him go. She continued to watch him until he   
went into the back office and closed the door behind him.  
  
"Sweet dreams, Jack," Tira whispered quietly.  
  
**********************************************  
  
Diane couldn't help but admire the room and its splendid   
furnishings. The small couch that she and Hotaru were sitting on   
was very comfortable; enough to fall asleep on. The carpeting was   
thick enough so that if she rubbed hard enough on it in her socks,   
she could build up a static charge strong enough to really shock   
somebody. Hotaru had shown her that the last time she was here; she   
could still remember the shock.   
  
There was one protrait on the wall above the granite fireplace at   
the wall at the far end of the room. It was the only portrait in   
the entire room, but somehow, it seemed that putting any other   
portraits or pictures on that wall, or any wall in the room, would   
be superfluous. That portrait was of Hotaru's mother and Tomoe's   
late wife, Mariko. She looked almost exactly like Hotaru, except   
she had longer hair. She was painted in a serene pose, with her   
hands resting in her lap. She wore a plain white dress, but on her   
it seemed the most extravagant, luxurious dress in the world. If   
she was any indication of how Hotaru would look in full maturity,   
she would make some guy a very fortunate man.  
  
Kaye had just left to go get some refreshments from the kitchen a   
few minutes ago. Tomoe was standing in front of the fireplace,   
staring at the picture of his wife with a wistful look on his face.   
A short time later, he turned away and walked over toward the   
bookcase.  
  
"I'm sure you'll want to see this again," he said with a small   
laugh as he pulled a set of keys from his pocket. "You ask me to   
see it every time you come here."  
  
"I know," Diane agreed sheepishly. "I can't help it. It's so   
beautiful!"  
  
Tomoe nodded as he turned toward the bookcase. In the center of the   
bookcase was a glass panel in front of a display of precious jewels.   
They all belonged to his wife, but now they belonged to Hotaru... in   
name only. Only when she turned 21 would he give her the keys. Once   
the display was opened, he reached in and took out the jewel in the   
middle of the display. It rested on a velvet pillow, almost like a   
museum display.  
  
"Even now, I can hardly believe that something like that belongs to   
me," Hotaru whispered to Diane.  
  
"I know you've heard it a million times, Hotaru-chan," Diane   
whispered back, "but I'm so jealous of you."  
  
Hotaru gave her a triumphant smirk. "I know that, Diane-oneesama."  
  
Tomoe walked back to where Diane and Hotaru were sitting and placed   
the pillow down of the coffee table between them before sitting down   
in his recliner. "One of a group of the most rare jewels in the   
world," he said with a dramatic wave of his hand over the gem, "the   
Orange Nijizuishou crystal! Only six others like it in the world   
exist, each another color of the rainbow: red, yellow, green, blue,   
indigo, and violet.  
  
"I still remember when I got this crystal," Tomoe continued in a   
reminiscent tone of voice. "It was back in Japan, when I taught at   
Mugen, a school in Tokyo. It taught students from 1st grade up to   
the university level. That's where I met Mariko.  
  
"She was a new staff member there; a student counselor. We met, fell   
in love, and eventually got married. We got married a week before   
that year's senior class graduated. One of my students - I believe   
her name was Tamashiro Kimiko - brought her grandfather to meet me.   
She told him that I was her favorite teacher and that if it wasn't   
for me, she would've never graduated. Well, I may have given her a   
little bit of tutoring," Tomoe added, "but I wouldn't've gone as far   
as to say that. Anyway, her grandfather thanked me for assisting her   
granddaughter. After that, Kimiko told him that I had just gotten   
married to Mariko. After he congratulated me and Mariko, he gave   
Mariko a small box and said it was a wedding present from him.   
Later, after she opened it, we discovered that it was the Orange   
Nijizuishou crystal! Mariko went and asked the man if he   
accidentally gave her the wrong box, he replied that it was no   
mistake. He was getting old and he didn't want it anymore. No one   
in his family knew he had the crystal and he preferred it that way.   
He also knew that if Kimiko had the crystal, then she'd either sell   
it for way less than it was worth or it'd get stolen from her and   
she might possibly get hurt in the process, so he wasn't going to   
give it to her. As for why he gave it to us, he figured that we'd   
likely know how to take care of it responsibly.  
  
"We both thought that the man might of been a bit senile, or looney,   
but we decided to keep his gift. After all, it was both out of   
gratitude for helping his granddaughter and a newlywed gift. How   
could we refuse without insulting him?"  
  
Diane bent over the crystal to take a closer look. The orange gem   
was shaped and cut like a traditional diamond, all the way down to   
the point on the bottom. She thought that it might be like a diamond   
in that it could cut anything. It certainly looked like it could. A   
gem like this would worth several millions of dollars easily. It   
seemed foolish to keep it locked up in just a glass case where   
anyone could just break the glass and take it, but Diane knew better.   
  
Since Tomoe worked on several different companies' projects, there   
was always the possibility of someone trying to break in and steal   
important information and documents. He made sure that everything   
was protected with an advanced security system. Only he, Hotaru, and   
Kaye had access to the security system.  
  
When Tomoe took the pillow with the crystal and put it back into the   
display, Diane gave off a small sigh that was echoed by Hotaru.   
"Thank you, Souichi-san," she said with a respectful bow. "I always   
enjoy admiring that crystal, even for a little while."  
  
"Hey, Dad," Hotaru began as Kaye came back with a tray that held   
a teapot and four cups, "since you're finished with your work, would   
you mind telling me some more stories about Mom?"  
  
Tomoe gave Hotaru a warm smile. "Of course, Hotaru. I know you never   
got to know your mother since the accident took her from us when you   
were very young. Would you mind pouring us some tea, Kaye?"  
  
"Of course, Souichi-san," Kaye said as she reached for the teapot.  
  
**********************************************  
  
"Call for you Mr. S," Max's secretary said over the intercom. "It's   
Mr. J."  
  
"Patch it through," Max ordered promptly as he flicked off the   
intercom, then picked up the phone. "Talk to me."  
  
"I've finally made it back to the States, Max," Jed told him. "I'm   
in New York waiting for a transfer to D.C."  
  
"Any problems?"  
  
"Not a hitch," Jed replied smugly. "I was out of there before   
they even knew it was gone."  
  
"Excellent," Max said eagerly. "So, when're you hitting the next   
target?"  
  
"I've already scoped out the security systems of the Tomoe manor when   
you sent me there to close the research project deal with him," he   
replied. "It'll be difficult, but I should make it in and out with   
minimal fuss. I'm planning the aquisition on Saturday, around   
midnight. The risk is minimal then."  
  
"I've already received a report that the project is completed and is   
ready for shipping. Since I'm having it moved out tonight, there's no   
reason to have to take special precautions with Tomoe. If he gets in   
the way..."  
  
"I know what to do, Max," Jed reassured him. "I know what to do."  
  
**********************************************  
  
To Chapter 11  
  
**********************************************  
  
Author's Note: And so ends another chapter. The plot begins to pick   
up now, both in the movie and in the fic, so hang on as I get ready   
to bring it up a notch. Next chapter: The Orange Nijizuishou crystal   
isn't the only thing taken from the Tomoe manor; Diane gets furious;   
and the Evans twins report to the set.  
  
Disclaimer: All original materials belong to their respective   
owners. Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi and a bunch   
of big companies. No copyright infringement is intended. This   
story belongs to Moonsong and myself, and I would appreciate   
you emailing her or myself for permission before posting it   
anywhere else. Thank you.  
  
Prologue Copyright © January 24, 2000 Moonsong.  
Other Chapters Copyright © August 12, 2000 Jason Ulloa.   
All Rights Reserved. 


	12. Chapter 11

Seeing Stars  
By Jason Ulloa  
Original story by Moonsong  
Continued with her permission.  
  
  
Chapter 11  
  
"Amy," Melvin said as he walked up to her once the last scene   
ended, "I got a call from Lita Evans. She told me that their   
current project was completed ahead of schedule and, since she   
found out from G.Q. that he's going to be revising the script,   
they're going to come to the set tomorrow morning with him."  
  
Amy blinked in surprise. The Evans weren't supposed to have   
reported to the set until next week. After that conversation   
she had with G.Q. yesterday, she couldn't help but wonder if   
these conincidences were, in fact, conincidences. On the other   
hand, she didn't exactly mind being able to see Jason that much   
sooner.  
  
"Are you... blushing?" Melvin asked curiously.  
  
"No, no," she stammered quickly. "Thank you, Melvin."  
  
"Sure thing, Amy," he said as he turned to leave. "Oh, another   
thing," he added, raising a finger for added emphasis. "Perhaps we   
should call it a day until tomorrow. After all, the next scene does   
call for a bit of stuntwork, and besides, G.Q. might end up   
changing that little bit of the script once he gets here."  
  
"Well, as for changing the next scene," she replied certainly, "that   
will definitely remain unchanged. It's a necessary plot point, since   
it's what brings the main character into play. Everything else   
afterward is alterable, but not what we've already done. At least,   
not without a very good reason. As for calling it a day... I don't see   
why not.  
  
"Okay, people, that'll do it for today," she called out. "Everybody   
be back here at...." She turned to Melvin. "What time did Lita say   
that she, Jason, and G.Q. were coming?"  
  
"About 9:30," he replied.  
  
"...at 9:30," she finished. "The first scene will begin at around 10."   
As the crew began clean-up, Tanya, Darien, and Serena all came   
up to them.  
  
"What gives?" Tanya asked. "We still had a few more hours left. I   
was hoping to do more than just that one scene today."  
  
"You'll have to wait until tomorrow, Tanya," Amy replied. "Our stunt   
coordinators, Jason and Lita Evans, are coming in tomorrow to go   
over the next scene's stunts."  
  
"That's why we're taking off early?" Darien asked.  
  
"That's why," she said with a nod.  
  
"Fine by me," Serena chimed in. "Hey, Tanya, how 'bout we go get   
something to eat and we catch up on news. Maybe you can tell me   
about that last movie of yours you just finished about a month and   
a half ago?"  
  
"You just did another movie?" Darien asked, eyebrow raised as his   
interest piqued.  
  
"Yeah," Tanya replied. "Say, Darien, why don't you come with me   
and Serena? I'm sure that Serena wouldn't mind." She glanced over   
at Serena and grinned slyly at her. "Right, Serena?" The frosty cold   
look that she gave her was answer enough. There was more to   
Serena and Darien than just that dress. She could sense it. She   
turned back to Darien and smiled. "See? She doesn't mind at all."  
  
"Well...," he began thoughtfully, "all right. Unfortunately, there's not   
much to say about my acting career, since it's just starting."  
  
"Aw, it doesn't matter," she said with a dismissive wave of her   
hand. "You can always listen to us incessently gossip. Now,   
c'mon!" She grabbed Darien's arm and started pulling him along,   
grabbing Serena's arm along the way with her other hand and   
dragging her.  
  
Amy and Melvin watched the scene with varying degrees of   
chagrin. "Well... that was... interesting," Melvin finally said after   
the group had left.  
  
"Yes," Amy agreed with a faint laugh. "I don't know who to feel   
sorry for: Serena or Darien."  
  
"Perhaps, in this case, both," he joked with a laugh of his own.   
"Well, I guess there's nothing left but to go home ourselves and let   
the crew finish up here. I'll see you tomorrow, Amy."  
  
"See you tomorrow, Melvin."  
  
**********************************************  
  
Amy had just begun to settle in at home when a knock sounded at   
her front door. She stared at her front door for a second in surprise;   
she wasn't expecting company. She pushed herself up from her   
living room couch, set down the book she was reading, and walked   
over to her door. As soon as she opened it, her eyebrows raised   
slightly in surprise.  
  
"Hello, Amy," Jason greeted as he stood next to his sister; her arm   
poised to knock again. She lowered her arm and grinned   
sheepishly.  
  
"Hey, Amy! What's up?" Lita said cheerily.  
  
"Nothing really," Amy replied with a warm smile for her friends. She   
stepped away from the doorway and gestured for them to enter.   
"Please, come in. Make yourselves at home."  
  
Both Evans twins stepped inside as she closed the door behind   
her. As she headed over to join the twins, who had already sat   
down on the couch she had previously vacated, Jason looked up at   
her and gave her one of his special smiles. She could feel her heart   
melt and her pulse race simultaneously.  
  
"You look very pretty, Amy," he complimented.  
  
She could feel her cheeks flush. She wasn't wearing anything   
special: a unbuttoned polyester shirt the same exact shade of blue   
as her hair with a white T-shirt; a pair of white cotton shorts with a   
small white belt; and a pair of grey and light blue sandals. Just the   
sort of outfit she usually wore at home.  
  
"S- so...," she stammered, "what brings you two here?"  
  
"Oh, I just thought that we'd stop by to say hi before we came into   
work tomorrow," Lita replied. She suddenly grinned as an idea   
came to her. "Say, Amy, have you had dinner yet?"  
  
Amy blinked in perplexity. "Huh? Um... no. I thought I'd just go get   
something later...."  
  
Lita was already shaking her head while tsking softly. "Oh, that's   
not good. I know; why don't I whip up something for all of us? You   
don't mind, do you?"  
  
"No, no, that's fine," she said with a faint half-smile. Not only was   
Lita a superb stuntwoman, she was also a master chef as well.   
Sometimes, Lita doubled as part of a movie's catering service, if the   
fancy took her.  
  
"Excellent!" Lita said, clapping her hands together eagerly. "Now,   
why don't you and Jason just relax here together while I go fix   
something real quick. Okay?" With that, she turned and walked off   
toward the kitchen. Since they had been here before, there was no   
need to tell her where to go.  
  
Amy stared off in the direction that Lita had left with a wry   
expression on her face. Of course. Lita had spoken with G.Q., so   
he must've told her about that little talk they had a few days ago.   
Now she's trying to help her by giving her an opportunity away from   
the workplace to talk with Jason and tell him that she had feelings   
for him and not G.Q. Idly, she wondered if she could actually speak   
to him without her mind muddling over one of his beautiful smiles.  
  
"So, how did your last project go?" Amy asked Jason as she   
turned toward him.  
  
Jason shrugged. "It was all right. Nothing special, really; the job   
was mostly fight choreography and a few pyrotechnic stunts as   
well. Lita and I divided the job between us, with me handling the   
fight scenes with she took the stunts. She's better at pyrotechnics   
than I am, anyway."  
  
She nodded knowingly. While both Evans were accomplished   
martial artists, Jason was a master of over twenty different martial   
arts styles and five different combat weapons, his favorite being the   
katana. Lita was better at choreographing stunts in general, but   
hand-to-hand fighting was his realm of expertise, with no one better.  
  
She sighed to herself, realizing that she had started off the   
conversation on a work-related note. Not exactly the direction she   
had wanted to go.  
  
"You know, I'm curious," Jason continued. "G.Q. let slip that you're   
having a newcomer play opposite of Serena Moon. A bold move.   
What made you decide this? I mean, I know he's going to revise   
your script to adapt to this newcomer, but why change the script in   
the first place? It seemed pretty good to me."  
  
"Well, you know how I have a certain eye for finding talent in extras   
and minor players. Remember Setsuna Meiou?"  
  
"You mean that woman who began her acting career by playing a   
minor part as a fashion botique shop owner, then starred in that   
movie opposite Kenji Fujimori? The one that's got you an Oscar   
nomination for best director? I get your point. So, you think you've   
found another Setsuna?"  
  
"Well, I don't know for certain," she admitted, "but he has potential."  
  
"He?" he asked, raising an eybrow.  
  
'Oh?' she thought, careful to keep her face from giving away what   
she was thinking. 'Is this a hint of jealousy I'm sensing in him?   
Then again, he's never shown any jealousy toward G.Q. and he   
thinks we're dating....'  
  
"Yes. His name's Darien Shields. He's the one playing opposite of   
Serena Moon."  
  
"Oh."  
  
Amy swallowed nervously as she gathered up her nerves. She was   
not going to let the opportunity that Lita had set up for her slip   
away without trying to convince Jason that she was available and   
not dating anyone.  
  
"Listen, Jason. There's something I want to tell you...," she began,   
then trailed off.  
  
"Go on," he urged gently, touching her hand with one of his.  
  
She felt her pulse race again at the contact. It was all she could do   
to calm herself so she could speak again.  
  
"You know how everyone's talking about me and G.Q., right?" she   
continued slowly. "About how we're... well... an item."  
  
"Yes...," he said deliberately, tacitly urging her to continue.  
  
"Well, I want to tell you myself that all those rumors are false," she   
said in a rush. "G.Q. and I are just friends; never have been   
anything more than that. I know that both Lita and G.Q. have been   
trying to tell you the same thing, but you didn't want to believe   
them, so I'm telling you now."  
  
Jason silently stared at her for a long time. "For a time, I thought   
that they were only saying that for my sake. Either that, or they   
were just trying to get the press off your cases." His expression   
turned thoughtful. "Why tell me now? Why couldn't you tell me   
before? You've had plenty of opportunites, but you never said   
anything beyond business matters."  
  
Amy sighed softly. Of course he would've noticed that. Jason was   
far from dense; quite the opposite, really. People who have written   
him off as one who thought only with his fists or muscles soon   
turned red in embarrasment as he not only proved them wrong, but   
occasionally did so in such a way that they, in turn, felt extremely   
stupid.  
  
"I've been wanting to say this for a long time," she began slowly,   
staring down at the royal blue carpeting of her living room and trying   
to muster all her courage just to say what was in her heart. "I....   
Jason.... You...." She paused, shaking her head and searched for   
the right words to say. "I... care for you, Jason. The smile you give   
to me and only me warms my heart and muddles my mind to   
distraction. I've tried to tell you, but I never could find the words to   
say until now."  
  
Jason reached out and placed his hand on Amy's shoulder.   
"Amy...," he began when she looked up at him, "I never knew. I've   
always hoped.... I guess I was so preoccupied with those stupid   
rumors that I never heard the truth, even coming from my own sister   
and my good friend. Amy, I... care for you, too. For as long as I've   
known you." He laughed softly. "I guess we've both acted a little   
foolishly over this, huh?"  
  
Amy smiled and threw her arms around him, giving him a warm   
hug. When she moved back slightly to look at him, she found   
herself gazing deeply into his sharp, light grey eyes. She could lose   
herself for hours just looking into his eyes. By the expression on   
Jason's face, he could probably do the same.  
  
She didn't know if it was her who moved towards him, or if he moved   
towards her, but before she knew it, they were sharing a deep,   
passionate kiss that seemed to last for all eternity.  
  
Lita walked up to the doorway to announce that dinner was ready   
and halted, noticing her brother and Amy kissing on the couch.   
She grinned as she quietly turned around and started back for the   
kitchen. She knew that they were going to be occupied for a good   
while, so she might as well leave them be and go eat. Dinner would   
still be there for them; she'd make sure of that.  
  
**********************************************  
  
The next day, Melvin stood waiting at the entrance to the set,   
impatiently tapping his foot while crossly folding his arms over his   
chest. It wasn't like Amy to be late; she was the most punctual   
person he had ever known. His foot tapping ceased as a pair of   
cars drove up and parked nearby. Out of one, he noticed G.Q. exit.   
The other held a brown-haired woman of tall stature with her hair   
done up in a long ponytail. That must be Lita Evans, but where was   
her brother? And where was Amy?  
  
The two newcomers walked up to Melvin, giving him a friendly   
greeting. "Morning, Melvin," G.Q. said with a smile. "Is Amy around?   
I want to speak with her before I get started on evaluating the current   
script."  
  
Melvin shook his head. "I haven't seen her yet," he replied   
concernedly. "It's not like her to be late for anything...."  
  
"So, my brother's not here, either...," Lita said, almost to herself.  
  
"I thought he'd be coming with you," G.Q. said to her.  
  
"He was, at first," she replied. "We went to go pay Amy a visit last   
night - you know, just a social call. It got late and I wanted to go   
home, but Jason wanted to stay and talk with her some more, so   
Amy volunteered to drive him here herself."  
  
"Your brother spent the night with Amy?" G.Q. asked, his   
expression was half astounded, half interested. "You don't think that   
they...." He trailed off as he spotted a familiar car driving up to them.   
"Ah! Here they are now."  
  
After car parked, the two occupants of the car, Jason Evans and   
Amy Anderson exited. The bright smile on Amy's face accompanied   
by Jason's satisfied grin left no doubt in G.Q.'s mind what had   
happened last night. More than likely, there were going to be some   
new rumors and gossip floating around Hollywood within the week.   
Perhaps this time, Amy wouldn't mind confirming some of them.  
  
"There you are!" Melvin shouted as he all but ran up to them. "You're   
late! What happened to make you so late?"  
  
Lita and G.Q. exchanged a look, wondering how Melvin could miss   
the obvious, especially with him the only one of them who was   
married. Perhaps he did know, but was hoping to be proved wrong;   
after all, he didn't know the truth behind all the rumors between Amy   
and G.Q.  
  
"We...," Amy began, blushing furiously.  
  
"...overslept," Jason finished, also blushing.  
  
"Overslept?" Melvin repeated flatly, then sighed as he shook his   
head. "Never mind. You're here now. That's what matters, isn't it?"  
  
Jason and Amy blinked in confusion at Melvin's behavior. "Are you   
all right, Melvin?" Amy asked.  
  
"Huh?" he asked, then shook his head as he realized how he was   
behaving. "Oh. I guess I got a little worked up over everything. After   
all, I'm not used to seeing you come in late."  
  
Amy laughed softly as she gently clasped Jason's right hand with   
her left. "I guess there's a first time for everything, right, Jason?"  
  
Jason gave a small laugh. "True," he said laughingly. "Well," he   
continued in a more normal voice, "now that we're all here, mabye   
we should start getting some work done. Right?"  
  
"Right," G.Q. added. "Now, Amy, do you have a copy of the script   
for me to go over while I watch?"  
  
"Yes," she said with a nod. "You can get it while Melvin shows you   
around."  
  
"All right," he replied as he and Melvin left, with Melvin quickly falling   
into discussion with him when they were out of earshot. He was   
probably trying to figure out what was going on between him, Amy,   
and Jason. No doubt G.Q. would have everything straightened out in   
no time.  
  
"Well, well," Lita said slyly to both Jason and Amy when everyone   
else was gone. "Was this why you said you'd take him home   
yourself, Amy? I must admit, I really thought you two were just going   
to talk. But this...." She burst out laughing as she jovally smacked   
both of them on the shoulders. "Oh, I definitely approve. And about   
time as well. They way things were going, I knew it was a matter of   
time before it happened, but I never guessed it would be so quickly."  
  
"All right, already! All right, already!" both Jason and Amy shouted   
in deep chagrin.  
  
"Oh? Have I embarrassed you two enough?" she asked with a laugh.   
"Okay, I'll leave off... for now."  
  
"How magnanimous of you," Jason muttered dryly.  
  
"Let's just get to work, okay?" Amy suggested. "I do have a movie to   
shoot today."  
  
"Right...," Lita agreed. "And the sooner we get done, the sooner you   
two can have some fun, right?"  
  
"Lita!!!"  
  
"Oops, did I say that out loud?" she asked with a sly smirk.  
  
**********************************************  
  
Jed watched the Tomoe manor through his binoculars. It had   
remained quiet for almost an hour and a half now, since the last light   
had been turned off. At this time, the manor was empty. Tomoe and   
Olinite had left, more than likely to go out for dinner or something.   
The daughter had been gone since 6pm. Out on a date, he figured.   
The security system was in full operation at this moment, but his   
window of opportunity was drawing near.  
  
There was a weakness in the system: starting at midnight, a routine   
check was performed every half hour on each entry point of the   
building, checking the circuits for any malfunctions or signs of   
tampering. The weak point was that, if he was quick enough, he   
could break a circuit, enter, then rewire the circuit so that it   
appeared to be untouched. The problem was that he didn't know if   
the rigged circuit would pass the routine inspection or not,   
regardless of how good a rewire job he did. There was only one way   
to find out.  
  
Only ten minutes to go.  
  
In the distance behind him, he could hear a car approach up the   
road. Did they come back from their dinner already? No... it took a   
good hour to get to the city, so it couldn't be them. So who.... Ah,   
yes, the daughter. Her date must be bringing her home now. And to   
do so, they must get through the security systems....  
  
It must be his lucky day.  
  
**********************************************  
  
"It's too bad that we couldn't stay out later," Ryoku said as he drove   
up to the gate. "But I did have a good time tonight. How about you,   
Hotaru-chan?"  
  
"Hai, hai," Hotaru replied with a slow smile. The dancing was so   
much fun. Ryoku was certainly the best dancer she ever had the   
chance to partner with. The other girls at that club were all jealous of   
her because Ryoku would only dance with her. He said it wouldn't   
be fair to her if he danced with other girls while leaving her by herself.   
It certainly made her feel special. He made her feel special.  
  
"Hotaru-chan?"  
  
"Yes, Ryo-chan?" she replied as she turned to him with a smile.  
  
"How do I get in?"  
  
Hotaru blinked in surprise. She forgot about Dad's security system.   
Well, it wasn't like he was going to steal anything, right? "Oh. See   
that keypad to your left under the intercom?"  
  
He reached up to turn on the car's lights, then turned to look. "What   
keypad?" he asked.  
  
"You don'y see a keypad?" she asked, confused. She leaned over to   
take a closer look "There should be one.... Oh! Just flip the switch   
underneath the intercom."  
  
Ryoku nodded as he reached underneath the intercom. "Ah! Okay,   
I think...," he said and grinned as the keypad flipped down from its   
resting place. "Got it. Hey! Katakana characters!"  
  
"Yeah," Hotaru confirmed as she sat back down. "Dad says that it'd   
be harder for the common burglar to figure out the password, even if   
he overheard it in a conversation. Just type in this word: Nijizuishou."  
  
"Nijizuishou?" Ryoku repeated after he typed in the word. "I think I   
remember hearing something about a Nijizuishou crystal before, but   
that was in Japan, back in Tokyo. They had a museum display   
showing a crystal and saying that there were only six others like it in   
the world."  
  
"There are," she agreed, then smiled knowingly. "And I own one."  
  
"Nande?!?" he sputtered. "You own a rare gem like that? An actual   
Nijizuishou?"  
  
"Yes, I own the Orange Nijizuishou crystal," she stated proudly. "I'll   
even show it to you, but I can't take it out of its display case. Dad   
won't give me the keys till I'm 21." She paused as she pointed   
forward. "The gate's open now."  
  
"Hmm? Oh," he replied as he drove forward.  
  
**********************************************  
  
Jed quickly let go from the framework of the car and rolled out from   
underneath. Clinging to the car and letting it drag him inside wasn't   
the most comfortable way to get in, but he was in. The daughter and   
her date would probably want to spend a little more time together, so   
he should remain undisturbed for a good amount of time.  
  
He quickly darted around the side of the mansion to the approximate   
location of where the window to the study that held the crystal was.   
Now it was time for him to get to work. Hopefully, she wouldn't be   
turning on the security system for a few minutes. Definitely enough   
time for him to get what he needed and get out without being   
detected.  
  
He brought out a simple glasscutter and made a small hole in the   
glass near the window bolt. After which, he used a hook to lift the   
latch, unlocking the window and allowing him to enter the building.   
Simple and effective. Now he was in. He gently closed the window   
behind him and went searching for the display case that held the   
crystal.  
  
**********************************************  
  
To Chapter 12  
  
**********************************************  
  
Author's Note: Cliffhanger!!! ^_^ Have I got your interest? Don't worry,   
the next chapter won't take long at all to type up. Just you wait, I've   
got more good stuff in store so, as I like to say, the best has yet to   
come. Next chapter: the crystal isn't the only thing taken from the   
Tomoe mansion; Diane vows to find who's responsible, and G.Q.   
gets his hands on the 'Total Eclipse' script.  
  
Disclaimer: All original materials belong to their respective   
owners. Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi and a bunch   
of big companies. No copyright infringement is intended. This   
story belongs to Moonsong and myself, and I would appreciate   
you emailing her or myself for permission before posting it   
anywhere else. Thank you.  
  
Prologue Copyright © January 24, 2000 Moonsong.  
Other Chapters Copyright © August 12, 2000 Jason Ulloa.   
All Rights Reserved. 


	13. Chapter 12

Seeing Stars  
By Jason Ulloa  
Original story by Moonsong  
Continued with her permission.  
  
  
Chapter 12  
  
Hotaru sighed contentedly and leaned her head against Ryoku's   
chest after sharing a long, deep kiss with him. It felt good having his   
arms around her.  
  
"Perhaps you'd like to go inside, out of the dark," Ryoku suggested   
as he gazed down at her.  
  
She didn't want to move - it felt so good just being in his arms - but   
it was dark and maybe they should go inside. Dad must be   
wondering when she was going to come home. Might as well let him   
know she was home. "All right," she said, leaving his embrace with   
a wistful sigh. She pulled out her house keys and opened the door.   
"Come on," she said with a grin. Ryoku nodded as he followed her   
inside.  
  
"That's strange," she said as she looked around. "There's no lights   
on anywhere. I would've thought that Dad would be waiting for me."   
  
"Maybe he went to bed?" Ryoku suggested.  
  
"I know!" she said suddenly. "Follow me."  
  
"Where're we going?" he asked.  
  
"Security control room," she replied. "I'll use the security cameras to   
see where he is."  
  
"Security cameras?" he asked, one eyebrow raised curiously.  
  
"Sure," she replied simply. "After all, Dad does some very important   
work for some big companies. He's gotta make sure his stuff is   
protected."  
  
"Of course," he agreed.  
  
Hotaru led Ryoku across the darkened hallway to a simple, plain-  
looking door - as compared to the other elaborate and slightly   
decorative doors - and opened it. Ryoku simply grinned at her father's   
choice of identification.  
  
"This way," she told him as she went inside. He entered shortly after.  
  
"So, your father has security cameras all over the place?" he asked   
as Hotaru sat herself at the control panel and switched on the   
monitors.  
  
"Not everywhere," she replied. "Just the important places: the labs;   
the studies; the bedrooms.... Places where there's things of value,   
you know?"  
  
"Right. So, you plan on narrowing down your search by seeing where   
he's not?"  
  
"Exactly," she nodded as she switched the view from one one room   
to another. There were more rooms than monitors, so she had to   
switch to different cameras in order to continue her search. "Now,   
where could you be, Dad? Where are.... There you are. Found him."  
  
"Where is he?" he asked, glancing toward the screen she was   
pointing to.  
  
"That's the study where Dad keeps my Nijizuishou....," she began,   
but trailed off as she noticed something. "Wait...." She pressed a   
few buttons, making the camera zoom in. Unfortunately, it couldn't   
zoom in far enough to get any distinguishing characteristics, but she   
could tell that it was a male. "Who's that? That's not Dad. How'd he   
get in here! And he's after my crystal!!!"  
  
"I'll call the police," Ryoku said calmly as he picked up the phone   
sitting by the desk. "Hmm? No dial tone.... You don't think he...."  
  
"He must've clipped the main phone wire outside," Hotaru seethed.   
"None of the phones work now!" Suddenly, she grinned viciously.   
"But, he forgot about the backup alarm."  
  
"Backup alarm?" he asked questioningly.  
  
"A silent alarm connecting us directly to the security company who   
supplied us with our equipment," she explained. "It goes through a   
wire buried a few feet underneath the ground, so it's very hard to get   
to."  
  
"Okay, so how do you activate it?" he asked.  
  
"Like this," she said, as she pressed a button underneath the   
terminal. "See?" she said, pointing to a screen where a capital letter   
'A' just appeared on the screen. "Now, the alarm has been triggered.   
The police will be notified and help will be sent."  
  
"One thing, though," Ryoku said grimly.  
  
"What?" Hotaru asked, tilting her head inquisitively.  
  
"Do you remember how long it took us to get here?"  
  
Her expression froze in shock at the sudden realization. "An hour...,"   
she murmured weakly.  
  
"So, now our friend up there has an hour to get what he came for, get   
out, and flee the scene, while we wait for the police to arrive," he said   
with a dark expression on his face. "I won't have that. No one does   
that to my girlfriend's family." With that, he left the room.  
  
"He...," Hotaru whispered incredulously to herself, "...he just called   
me his... girlfriend. Sugoi!!!"  
  
"Hotaru-chan?" Ryoku called after opening the door.  
  
"What is it, Ryo-chan?" she replied sweetly.  
  
"Where's the study?"  
  
Hotaru promptly facefaulted. "Yare.... Follow me," she said as she   
got to her feet.  
  
**********************************************  
  
After searching from room to room, Jed finally found the room he was   
looking for. The portrait of the late Mrs. Tomoe hung on the opposite   
side of the room, which told him that he found the correct room. Now,   
all he needed was to find the display case.  
  
He glanced around the room, his gaze passing over the furniture and   
wall hangings. There was a possibility of the old safe-behind-the-  
picture cliché, but from what he knew of the man, it didn't seem   
likely. His gaze continued on until it reached the bookcase on his   
right. There was a glass covering with a lock on one side. Obviously,   
this was what he was looking for.  
  
He quietly strode over to the glass case and peered inside. There it   
was, sitting on a cushion. The Orange Nijizuishou crystal. It was his,   
now.  
  
He reached into a small pouch clipped onto his belt and brought out   
a small glasscutter and a small suction cup. First, he pressed the   
suction cup against the glass, making sure it had a good hold. Then,   
he carefully began to cut a hole into the glass, making sure it was   
large enough to fit his hand through. Once the glass was cut, he   
gently pulled on the suction cup, lifting the cut piece of glass out of   
the case. Then, he reached in and retrieved the crystal.  
  
"There it is," Jed whispered smugly to himself. "The Orange   
Nijizuishou crystal. That wasn't nearly as hard as I thought."  
  
"Nice crystal," a voice said from the doorway, as the room's lighting   
suddenly sprung to life. "Now, would you mind putting it back? That   
happens to belong to my girlfriend and I would hate to see her lose   
it."  
  
Jed glanced over his shoulder to see who had spoken, all the while   
scowling at being caught. His scowl deepened as he saw that it was   
those two kids who had found him out: the daughter and her   
boyfriend.  
  
"How annoying...," he growled to himself as he slipped the crystal   
into a secound pouch. His glasscutter went back into its own pouch.   
He then turned toward the two kids and slowly stalked toward them,   
cracking his knuckles threateningly. "Get out of my way," he said in   
a low, threatening tone.  
  
"Make me," Ryoku replied while slowly settling into a defensive   
fighting stance.  
  
"Wait... I recognize you now," Hotaru said suddenly. "You're Mr.   
Jade. I remember when you came here to offer my Dad a business   
contract to wire and program those things you sent him. Why are   
you after my Nijizuishou crystal?"  
  
Jed halted as soon as Hotaru had positively identified him. Not that   
Mr. Jade was his real name, but still, it was enough to incriminate   
him. There was no choice. He had to take care of her and her   
boyfriend. But, first....  
  
Ryoku ducked under the punch that Jed threw at him, and countered   
by catching his arm and throwing him out of the room and into the   
hallway. He tried to follow that up with a kick to his side, but Jed   
swiftly recovered and leaped back away from him.  
  
Before Ryoku could attack again, Jed quickly reached behind his   
back and pulled out a small knife, brandishing it in front of him.  
  
"Ryo-chan, look out!" Hotaru shouted as Jed lunged forward while   
slashing at him. He dived to the side, hoping to avoid the attack.   
Instead of a deep wound, Ryoku received a small slash across his   
left leg. He landed and rolled to his feet, hissing in pain.  
  
Jed grinned at the sight of blood on his dagger. "Just keep it up,   
boy," he sneered. "Next time, you may not be so lucky."  
  
"You want me?" Ryoku replied defiantly. "Then, come get me!" To   
add to his challenge, he beckoned to his opponent with a small   
gesture of his hand.  
  
"As you wish," Jed replied and lunged for him again. This time,   
Ryoku stood fast against Jed's charge until he was almost on top of   
him. As Jed tried to stab him, Ryoku quickly fell backward. As the   
knife missed its target, Ryoku quickly struck with his feet, striking   
him in the chest and knocking some of the wind out of him. He then   
grabbed Jed's arm and started to roll backwards until he was   
supporting him with his legs. He then bent his knees and quickly   
kicked straight out, launching his attacker a good distance past him.   
Jed struck the floor and slid a few feet into the foyer balcony.  
  
"All right, Ryo-chan!" Hotaru cheered as Ryoku turned to follow Jed.   
He wasn't certain if that attack stopped him or not, but he wasn't   
about to let him keep that knife.  
  
Jed growled furiously to himself as his grip on the knife tightened   
until his knuckles turned white. That kid was really getting on his   
nerves! Slowly, he calmed himself. He was letting his emotions   
interfere with his performance. Small wonder he was getting his butt   
kicked by an eighteen year old boy. All right. Now, he was ready.  
  
As soon as Ryoku was in range, Jed flipped over and flung his knife   
at him. Since Ryoku thought that Jed was knocked out from that last   
attack, he was caught unprepared. Luckily, since his reaction time   
and his movements were so quick, he was able to move fast enough   
so that he was struck in his right shoulder, rather than straight   
through his heart.  
  
"Ryo-chan!!!" Hotaru screamed in horror as she witnessed her   
boyfriend getting a knife stabbed into his shoulder.  
  
Jed quickly took advantage of Ryoku's dazed state and kicked him   
in the head, knocking him back a few feet.  
  
Ryoku groaned in pain as he slowly reached for the knife in his   
shoulder and pulled in out. That made him grunt loudly, but at least   
he could move his right arm, if painfully. At least, he now had the   
knife. Jed paused, also noticing this fact, but grinned nonetheless.  
  
"You think you can use that on me?" he asked wryly. "Why not give   
it a try?"  
  
Ryoku glanced at the knife in his hand, then tossed it over the   
balustrade to the floor below. "I don't need it to beat you."  
  
Jed laughed out loud. "Don't tell me that you're trying to show off to   
your girlfriend?" he roared in amusement. "You just threw away your   
only chance of survival, you idiot! Not that it really matters, anyway."  
  
"We'll see...," Ryoku said as he rushed forward, attacking Jed with a   
flurry of punches and kicks.  
  
"Not bad," Jed admitted as he dodged and blocked all of Ryoku's   
attacks. "At least, for a crippled boy. Now, it's time to end this...."  
  
With one swift move, Jed blocked another of Ryoku's punches and   
struck him in the right shoulder with the butt of his palm. Ryoku   
paused for a split second as he winced in pain, but that was all the   
opening Jed needed as he picked him up and threw him over the   
balustrade to the floor below, where he landed next to the knife with a   
sickening thud.  
  
"Ryoku!!!" Horatu screamed again as she started for the stairs. Jed   
leaped forward and caught her by the arm.  
  
"And where do you think you're going?" Jed said with a smirk.   
"You're next, girl. Now, come with me. I have to go get my knife."  
  
Hotaru struggled against her captive as he wrenched her arm around   
her back, forcing her forward. When they reached the ground floor,   
Hotaru felt tears welling up in her eyes.  
  
There was a lot of blood around Ryoku's head. He wasn't moving at   
all... like he was dead. She was almost about to break into tears   
when she saw his chest rise very slowly. She pulled away from her   
captive and rushed to Ryoku's side, feeling for a pulse. She sighed in   
relief when she found one. She checked the sides of his head and   
found his scalp spilt open in the back of his head. He was still   
bleeding.  
  
Jed picked up his knife and glanced at his watch. He had already   
wasted almost half an hour with that boy. He should just kill him and   
be done with it. But, then again....  
  
"Listen, girl," Jed said coldly. "If you come with me, quietly and   
without a struggle, I won't kill him." For emphasis, he placed his knife   
right under Ryoku's neck with the point touching his skin. "Well?"  
  
Hotaru sniffled as she wiped the tears from her eyes. A chance for   
Ryoku to live.... "All right," she agreed, "but I need to see to his   
wounds first." Perhaps she could delay him until help arrived....  
  
"No," he replied quickly. "If you want to see to his wounds, do it after   
we get out of here. Remember, his life is now in your hands. Don't   
screw it up by trying to run away, or call for help, or anything else.   
Understand?"  
  
"Yes, I understand," she answered.  
  
"Good," he replied, picking up Ryoku and throwing him over his   
shoulder like a sack of dirty laundry. "Now, let's go. My car's parked   
not too far from here...."  
  
**********************************************  
  
"Hmm...," Diane yawned, sitting up in her bed. "Oh, who could be   
calling at this time of night? It it's Artie, I'm gonna let him have it!"   
She slowly reached over to the lamp next to her bed and flicked it on,   
then picked up the phone beside it. "Yeah?"  
  
"Diane-san?"  
  
"Souichi-san?" she exclaimed. She wasn't expecting a call from him.   
From his voice, he sounded very upset. "What happened? What's   
wrong?"  
  
"Hotaru-chan...," he wailed. "My only daughter has been kidnapped!"  
  
"Hold on, Souichi-san! I'll be there as soon as I can!" she hung up   
the phone, slid out of bed and darted to her closet. Since she usually   
only wore her undergarments to bed, she was dressed and ready to   
go in seconds.  
  
'Oh.... Poor Hotaru-chan...,' she thought to herself as she raced   
down to her car and sped off.  
  
**********************************************  
  
By the time Diane arrived back at the Tomoe mansion, there were   
already several police cars lined up around the place. As she drove   
up to the scene, a policeman walked up to her car, signaling for her   
to roll down her window.  
  
"Diane Silver, F.B.I.," she told the man, as she presented her badge   
for ID. "I'm here to see Professor Tomoe about his missing daughter.   
Would you mind letting me pass?"  
  
"Certainly, Miss Silver," the man said, returning her badge. He   
signalled ahead, letting the others know that she was to be permitted   
inside.  
  
"Diane-san!" Tomoe shouted as soon as he saw her.  
  
"I'm so sorry, Souichi-san," Diane replied as she walked up to him   
and gave him a consoling hug. As soon as she let go of him, she   
turned to one of the police officers. "What's the story?" she asked   
peremptorily.  
  
"Here's what we know so far," the woman reported. "At around   
12:07am, we received a call from Priority One Security Services,   
stating that they had received an emergency call from the Tomoe   
manor; one of their clients. We sent Officers Stevenson and   
Womack to investigate.  
  
"When they arrived at the scene at approximately 12:49am, they   
immedately found that the front door was open and there was only   
one light on in the whole building. Also, there was a car parked in   
the driveway with the keys still in the ignition. Before entering the   
building, they called for backup. Officer Stevenson investigated the   
vehicle, while Officer Womack investigated the building.  
  
"Inside the vehicle, Officer Stevenson discovered that the owner   
is a Miss Sakura Kino. He also found a wallet lying on the   
passenger side. According to the driver's license, it belongs to a   
Mister Ryoku Kino."  
  
"Ryoku Kino?" Diane repeated. "That was the name of the boy that   
Hotaru was going out on a date with." She frowned slightly.   
"Continue."  
  
"Upon entering the building, Officer Womack discovered that there   
was a blood stain on the floor, but there was no body to be seen. On   
the second floor, there was a light on in one of the studies, with a   
sign of burglarization. A piece of glass with a small suction cup still   
attached to it was found on the floor. The piece of glass came from a   
glass display case inside a bookshelf. Inside the display, there was   
a small cushion which we believe may have held a precious gem for   
display."  
  
Diane nodded. "That would have to be the Orange Nijizuishou   
crystal," she stated. "Is that all?"  
  
The officer shook her head. "At 1:31am, backup had arrived at the   
Tomoe manor. At this time, Officer Womack had located the security   
control room. He then proceeded to check any recordings of what   
may have happened.  
  
"From what was discovered, here's what we believe the scenario to   
be. First, Mr. Kino brought Miss Tomoe home at around midnight.   
Upon entering the building, one of them, or both, went to the security   
control room to check on the manor. Upon discovering the suspect,   
both Kino and Tomoe left to confront him. A struggle ensued   
between Kino and the suspect, in which one was gravely injured; we   
assume it was Kino. After injuring Kino, the suspect took both him   
and Tomoe as hostages. More than likely, he's using them only as   
protection; to make sure we don't make any quick moves against   
him. As of now, we have no demands, nor do we have any clue as to   
where the suspect may have gone."  
  
"Fingerprints?" Diane asked.  
  
"None. Right now, we've got people going over that place with a fine-  
toothed comb, searching for anything we can use. So far, we've found   
nothing."  
  
"I see," Diane replied calmly. "Thank you."   
  
She turned back to Tomoe and placed a consoling hand on his   
shoulder. "Hotaru-chan's fine, Souichi-san," she said quietly and   
soothingly. "Don't worry."  
  
"Souichi-san," Kaye said softly as she walked up to them. "I finally   
managed to get them to let me in and make you some tea. It'll help   
you relax and calm yourself." She handed him a small cup of tea.   
"Miss Silver is right. Hotaru is going to be all right. She has Mr. Kino   
to look after her. I'm sure that he won't let anything happen to Hotaru."  
  
Tomoe nodded as he sipped his tea. "Yes... Ryoku-san seemed like   
a responsible young man. I'm sure he'll look after Hotaru-chan...."  
  
Diane glanced back over toward the mansion with a contemplative   
frown on her face. Something about all this puzzled her. Why, out of   
all the extremely valuable things from antiquities to corporate info,   
was the Orange Nijizuishou crystal the only thing taken? Surely,   
there were other more valuable things that were more accessible.   
The crystal was the only thing taken and both Hotaru and Ryoku   
were taken hostage to make sure that whoever took it remained free.  
  
Something was going to have to be done about that. She would   
make sure of it... personally.  
  
**********************************************  
  
To Chapter 13  
  
**********************************************  
  
Author's Note: Finally, our heroine is about to leap into action! ^_^   
So, what about Jack? When does he come in? Patience... all will   
be revealed in due time.... Next chapter: Script revision discussions;   
Tanya tries to play matchmaker; and the Yellow Nijizuishou crystal   
is stolen!  
  
Disclaimer: All original materials belong to their respective   
owners. Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi and a bunch   
of big companies. No copyright infringement is intended. This   
story belongs to Moonsong and myself, and I would appreciate   
you emailing her or myself for permission before posting it   
anywhere else. Thank you.  
  
Prologue Copyright © January 24, 2000 Moonsong.  
Other Chapters Copyright © August 12, 2000 Jason Ulloa.   
All Rights Reserved. 


	14. Chapter 13

Seeing Stars  
By Jason Ulloa  
Original story by Moonsong  
Continued with her permission.  
  
  
Chapter 13  
  
"So, that's how it was?" Melvin asked as he led G.Q. to a conference   
room. He smiled slyly to himself. "Amy and Jason, eh? I must admit that   
they do look like a good match."  
  
G.Q. nodded with a grin. "I've always thought so," he added as he sat   
down. "So, Melvin, how 'bout giving me an idea of where you want me to   
take the 'Total Eclipse' script? All I know is that you want Jack's role   
to have a more critical role in the movie. I mean, I already have a good   
idea of where to take the storyline, but I'd like the approval of both   
you and Amy. You know how I like to do things."  
  
Melvin nodded as he also sat down. "Yes, I remember. Well, how about you   
throw some ideas and stuff at me and we'll see if it flies. After that,   
we'll see what Amy likes. Sound good?"  
  
"Sure thing," G.Q. replied with a nod as he pulled out his own copy of   
the script and opened it up. "Let's begin at the scene of the theft of   
the Yellow Nijizuishou crystal...."  
  
**********************************************  
  
Diane stormed through the hallway, not stopping for anybody. Those who   
knew her, stepped wide of her when they saw the dark look on her face.   
She was a woman on a mission and woe be to those who got in her way. Her   
stride never faultered, even as she burst through the doors of the office   
she was heading for.  
  
"Artie!" she said urgently as she doors to his office swung back and   
closed. "We need to talk. Now."  
  
Artemis sighed as he turned from the report he was reading and looked   
toward Diane. "I knew you'd come as soon as you heard. I'm sorry, Diane."  
  
"Sorry, my ass!" she all but screamed. "It was by your own orders that I   
was prevented from being assigned to the Tomoe/Kino kidnappings! And   
don't you dare give me any of that crap about my judgement being   
compromised just because Hotaru Tomoe is a close friend of mine! My   
judgement has never, ever been anything but clear and controlled   
throughout my entire career!"  
  
"Your friend has never been kidnapped before," he replied calmly. He   
shook his head in frustration. "Look at you. You're already furious. Your   
judgement may already be compromised, yet you're too upset to see. How   
can I allow you to take on a kidnapping case like this if you're liable   
to blow up in anger?"  
  
Diane forced herself to calm down. "So, there's no way you'll reconsider?"  
  
"My decision is final, Diane," he said emotionlessly. "I will not change   
it. Not even for you."  
  
She nodded, keeping her face neutral. "You do know what this means,   
right, Artie?" she asked.  
  
Artemis sighed sadly. "I don't want to have to arrest you to keep you   
from this case, but...." He looked pointedly at her. "...as a favor to   
you, I will look the other way. But, expect no assistance from me. This   
is your own personal case, so you'll only have yourself to rely on. Also,   
be sure not to get in the way of those who are assigned to the job.  
  
"Now," he said as he stood up and walked over to a small filing cabinet   
and opened one drawer, "as far as anyone knows, you will be on vacation   
for an indefinite amount of time. I can only give you so much time   
though, so I suggest that you don't waste it." He flipped through   
numerous files until he reached the one he was looking for, then pulled   
it out and handed it to Diane.  
  
"What's this?" she asked as she opened the folder.  
  
"That is the police report on the Tomoe/Kino kidnapping, including all the   
results of the search of the premesis," Artemis explained. "The police did   
a remarkably thorough job, but the suspect is quite the professional. The   
only clues to the man's identity is the security video taken during the   
burglarization and subsequent kidnappings. The photograph inside that   
folder you're looking at was taken from that video. You'll have to leave   
it with that folder, though. That's the only copy we have and you're not   
officially authorized to even see it, let alone have a copy."  
  
Diane nodded gratefully, aware of the favor he was granting her. "That's   
another thing that's been bothering me, Artie... why only the Orange   
Nijizuishou crystal? I mean, there's so much valuable stuff there, and   
some of them easier to grab. If he was a common burglar, then he would've   
taken more than just the crystal."  
  
"I know what you mean, Diane," he replied, nodding sagely. "I noticed   
that, too. There's something else, though, that might be of interest to   
you."  
  
"What?" she asked curiously as she followed Artemis back to his desk. He   
wordlessly sat down and tossed her the newspaper he had been reading   
before she had burst in. She grabbed the paper in midair and unrolled it   
to the front page. Displayed in big, bold letters was the headline,   
"Rare Valuable Gem Stolen from Museum in Madrid!"  
  
"This is dated a few days ago, Artie," Diane said as she read the article.  
  
"Yes," he agreed, "but as you can see, the stolen crystal from that museum   
and the one taken from the Tomoe manor have something in common."  
  
"They're both Nijizuishou crystals!" she exclaimed as she slammed down the   
paper onto Artemis' desk.  
  
"Correct," he replied, pointing his finger in emphasis.  
  
"So, you think that our kidnapper is only after the seven Nijizuishou   
crystals? Why?" she asked confoundedly. "What reason could there be for   
collecting all seven Nijizuishou crystals? And what makes them so   
important that he'd kidnap two teenagers just to remain free? Not only   
that, but not even make any offer to release them?" She realized that she   
was clenching her fists in a cold fury and slowly forced herself to relax   
her hands. Losing her temper was not an option if she was going to get   
back Hotaru and Ryoku from that bastard and make him pay.  
  
"That, I wish I knew," Artemis told her. "Anyway," he said as he held out   
his hand for the folder, which Diane grudging returned, "this is all the   
aid I can give you, both officially and unofficially. You do understand   
that if you do get caught interfering, I will be unable to help you.  
  
"As for transportation," he added, reaching into his pocket and pulling   
out a small card, then handing it over to her, "this should help you."  
  
Diane's eyes widened in extreme shock when she saw what he had given her.   
"You can't be serious, Artie!" she whispered. "Your... credit card? Why?"  
  
"Even though I'm officially required to keep you off this case, I still   
believe that you're the best agent I have," he answered. "If you can't   
bring this guy in and return Tomoe and Kino, then no one can. Just   
remember," he added with a fatherly grin, "I will require all your   
travel recipts. After all, how can I get reimbursed without proof of   
travel charges? Also, I'm trusting you not to go overboard with this   
card, even though it doesn't have a limit," he admonished. "It is my card,   
after all. I'm going out on a limb here, so please respect that when you   
use it."  
  
"Thank you," she said as she rushed to his side and gave him a huge hug   
and a kiss on his forehead in gratitude. "Thank you, Artie. You won't   
regret this; I promise."  
  
"I know, Diane," he said with a smile. "Now get going. Make sure you have   
a full report ready upon your return!" he added as Diane began to leave.   
The sound of Diane groaning in vexation accompanied the sound of his door   
closing behind her as she began her hunt for Hotaru and Ryoku... and the   
one responsible for their kidnapping.  
  
After a little bit of research, she found that the trail, and the nearest   
Nijizuishou crystal, lead to Los Angeles.  
  
The hunt had begun.  
  
**********************************************  
  
As the crew and cast got ready for the next scene, Tanya began to search   
for Darien. They were up next, and she wanted to make sure that he was   
ready. She didn't really doubt his abilities, but he was a novice,   
nonetheless. Her search ended when she spotted him at one end of the   
studio, reading his script and mumbling to himself; most likely for   
rehearsing his lines. He seemed to be a very dedicated actor. That was one   
of the things she liked about him.  
  
"Hey, Darien!" she called out as she walked over to where he was seated in   
a small chair. More than likely, it was a prop for one scene or another.  
  
"Tanya!" he greeted back as he looked up from his script. "Is it almost   
time for our next scene already?"  
  
"Yeah, just about," she replied cheerily. "You ready?"  
  
"Pretty much," he said as he stood up. "I just wanted to go over my lines   
again. I wanna do my best, you know? For Serena and you and...."  
  
There was something in his voice that caught her attention. If she wasn't   
certain already, that would've clinched it. He definitely had an interest   
in her blonde, odango-wearing friend. As she so often did before, she   
mentally matched up both Serena and Darien, seeing how compatible they   
were. She was very good at matching up people; she had a 84% success rate   
at last count.  
  
Despite the fact that Serena seemed to keenly dislike Darien, she knew   
better. She'd never give even the most meager compliment to someone she   
hated, even if the person she hated was an accomplished expert in   
whatever. The fact that she complimented Darien's acting skills, let alone   
acknowledge him as an actor, showed that she didn't hate him. In fact, she   
had noticed a couple of times, when Serena didn't know that anyone was   
around, that she had stared at Darien with a look of keen interest. There   
was definitely something between them, whether or not they knew it.   
Knowing her friend, it was only a matter of time until she would either   
kill Darien, or sleep with him. Maybe both.  
  
"Of course," Tanya said, cutting him off abruptly. "Hey, Darien, how   
about after work today, we go out and have dinner. There's something I   
wanna talk to you about."  
  
"Hmm?" he replied, raising an eyebrow in curiousity. "Oh... uh, sure,   
Tanya. Any place in particular?"  
  
"Not really," she said as she crossed her arms thoughtfully. "How 'bout I   
just follow you to wherever you wanna go?"  
  
"Fine by me," he answered. "Well, shall we?" he asked, gesturing toward   
the set.  
  
"Lead the way."  
  
**********************************************  
  
Tira was so engrossed with the computer and what she was working on that   
she didn't even notice Jack walk in. He grinned at the young, light brown-  
skinned secretary for a moment before he walked behind her and peered   
over her shoulder at the computer screen. A list of names was displayed   
on the screen accompanied by a small status bar at the bottom, which   
showed that whatever Tira was downloading off of whatever Internet site   
she was on was just about done.  
  
"Before you ask," she said without turning her head, "this is a list of   
all the employees at the company our temptress works at. See?" she said,   
pointing at the top of the screen. At the top of the screen, the words,   
"Stanton Aeronautical Engineering, Inc." were plastered in a fancy   
graphical font.  
  
"Yeah, that's where she works," he agreed. So much for her not noticing   
his entrance. "But, how did you manage...?" His facial expression became   
a grimace combined with a proud, indulgent grin. "Don't tell me you   
actually managed to hack into their site?"  
  
The computer screen reflected her sly, smug smirk. "Then, I won't," she   
replied facetiously. "But, I did get what you wanted."  
  
"So you did," he replied dryly. "But, I wish you'd stop doing that."  
  
"I never get caught, Jack," she told him dismissively as she looked over   
her shoulder at him and gave him a cute, little wink. He merely groaned in   
mock annoyance, which induced a small giggle from her. After she finished   
downloading her list, she carefully signed off and started copying the   
file to a floppy disk. "All done," she announced as she turned toward   
Jack, who had already sat down at another desk. "Now what?"  
  
"Well," he began, as he leaned back in his chair and propped his feet onto   
the desk, "here's what we've got so far. The woman Nate's seeing is a   
secretary for a Mr. S. After keeping watch on her, I found out that she   
works at Stanton Aeronautical Engineering, Inc. So far, she hasn't made a   
move, yet, but I'm getting a feeling.... I think it's going down soon."  
  
"One of those instincts you've developed back when you and Daddy were   
cops?" Tira asked. "Daddy used to tell me about that when I told him that   
I wanted to be a cop just like him... and you."  
  
A small silence filled the room for a moment. "Yeah," Jack said quietly.   
"Just like that." He frowned for a moment, then reached for a pad and a   
pencil. "Well, Ti, since you managed to get me the names of all those   
employees, why don't you give me the names of all the high level Mr. S's?   
One of them has got to have a secretary who lives at the address that I've   
got."  
  
After a lengthy search, Tira finally hit paydirt. "Here!" she exclaimed.   
"Regina Juléi. Secretary for the president himself, Mr. Maxfield Stanton."  
  
"Gotcha," Jack said with a smug grin.  
  
**********************************************  
  
"Right here," G.Q. said, pointing to a certain part on the script. "I've   
got a great idea. I want to move up the first meeting between Jack and   
Diane. Instead of meeting after the recovery of the Yellow Nijizuishou   
crystal, how about we have Diane hire Jack to look for Jed?"  
  
"I don't know...," Melvin said doubtfully. "Diane's supposed to be able   
to find Jed on her own, right? Why would she need a private investigator?"  
  
"Ah, but that's the thing," G.Q. said, raising a finger for emphasis.   
"Diane's on a very tight time limit and she can't risk being discovered   
by any of her co-workers. So, to save time, she decides to have a second   
pair of eyes search at the same time she does. Get it?"  
  
"Ah, I see," Melvin agreed. "Well, how soon can you have this changed?"  
  
G.Q. grinned slyly as he produced a second copy of the script, this one in   
yellow paper. "The second revision," he stated proudly. "This version   
isn't final, however. I intentionally left the parts already filmed   
intact, to save time and money. Besides, that part is fine the way it is.   
I'm still going over the script for possible improvements, so any   
suggestions by you or Amy would be appreciated."  
  
"That sounds wonderful," a female voice said as the door opened wider,   
admitting a red-haired young woman into the room. "I hope you don't mind   
if I also give my opinions and suggestions, G.Q."  
  
"Of course not, Molly," G.Q. replied with a grin, which turned into a   
confused frown. "I didn't know you were a part of this crew."  
  
"Officially, she's not," Melvin explained. "She's just here to offer her   
support and assistance."  
  
"Whenever I'm not already involved in producing another movie, that is,"   
she added with a small smile, amusement shining in her green eyes.  
  
"Well, the more help, the better," G.Q. said. "I have a good feeling about   
this movie." He picked up the yellow script and handed it over to Melvin.   
"If you don't mind, would you please see that copies are made and   
distributed to everyone who requires a copy?"  
  
Melvin nodded. "I can get one of our production assistants to get to work   
on the copies. I'll also make sure that all the copies are on yellow paper,   
to avoid confusion. Molly, would you go down to the set and check up on   
everyone? Darien should be down there as well."  
  
Molly nodded solemnly. "Yes, I must speak with Darien concerning what I   
did to him before." She turned to G.Q. and gestured for him to lead the   
way. "Will you be joining us later, dear?" she asked.  
  
"I'll be there shortly," Molly," he replied. He kissed her on the cheek as   
he left. She smiled at his back, then followed G.Q. down to the set.  
  
**********************************************  
  
To Chapter 14  
  
**********************************************  
  
Author's Note: It's coming! The first meeting between Jack Terrance and   
Diane Silver is coming! Also, how will Tanya Cambridge manage to get   
Serena and Darien together? Next chapter: Molly says she's sorry; Jack   
gets a second job; G.Q. asks Jason exactly what happened last night; and   
the Yellow Nijizuishou crystal is stolen!!!  
  
Disclaimer: All original materials belong to their respective   
owners. Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi and a bunch   
of big companies. No copyright infringement is intended. This   
story belongs to Moonsong and myself, and I would appreciate   
you emailing her or myself for permission before posting it   
anywhere else. Thank you.  
  
Prologue Copyright © January 24, 2000 Moonsong.  
Other Chapters Copyright © August 12, 2000 Jason Ulloa.   
All Rights Reserved. 


	15. Chapter 14

Seeing Stars  
By Jason Ulloa  
Original story by Moonsong  
Continued with her permission.  
  
  
Chapter 14  
  
Molly glanced around the set, searching for Darien. It wasn't hard to find   
him since he was a tall man. "Excuse me, G.Q.," she said as she started for   
the dark-haired man, "I must go speak with Darien."  
  
"No problem," he said as he spotted Jason talking with Lita and Amy. "I've   
got to speak with someone as well."  
  
She nodded without taking her eyes of Darien. "Until later, then," she said   
over her shoulder. "Darien!" she called out. "May I have a word with you?"  
  
"Molly?" Darien exclaimed in surprise. "What are you doing here? I didn't   
know you were producing this movie, too."  
  
"Officially, I'm not," she replied. "I'm only here to help my husband out   
with his work; to keep him from overworking himself. Anyway, there is   
something I must speak with you about. I assume you still remember what   
happened not to long ago at the 'White Rose' set?"  
  
Darien grimace slightly. "When you fired me?"  
  
She sighed regretfully. "You do remember that I did that because of the   
constraints that was put upon me at the time. I couldn't allow Serena to   
quit the shoot, so she could just about make me do almost anything to a   
point. Forcing me to terminate your employ, for example."  
  
"I get your point," he replied.  
  
"Well, what I really wanted to say was that I'm very sorry for firing you,"   
she told him. "I just wanted to make amends with you. I hope that you'll   
forgive me." She gave him a small apologetic bow.  
  
"That's all right, Molly," Darien said, returning her bow. "I understand   
that you had no choice. It wasn't your fault."  
  
"It didn't matter," she stated. "I was still the one who fired you. But,   
that was before. I've made my amends and we are now going to be working   
together on this movie." She grinned at him, a small gleam showing in her   
eyes. "This time, you don't have to worry about being fired."  
  
"I guess not," he replied with a small laugh.  
  
**********************************************  
  
"So, when do you think that the new script's coming out, Amy?" Jason asked.  
  
"Yeah," Lita added. "You said that G.Q.'s gonna rewrite the script, right?"  
  
"Come on, guys," Amy entreated jokingly, "I'm a director, not a writer! I   
don't know how long it'll take him!"  
  
"Actually," G.Q. interrupted as he walked up to them, "it's already done."  
  
"What?!?" all three exclaimed at once.  
  
"Yeah," he told them with a grin. "I decided to start early with the more   
obvious improvements. I've already shown the new script to Melvin. He's now   
getting copies of the new 'yellow' second revision made."  
  
"Yellow?" Lita asked curiously.  
  
"I use different colors for different versions of a script," he explained.  
  
"It avoids confusion whenever new script versions are introduced," Amy   
added. "If someone has a different colored script, then they know that they   
have the wrong version. They don't have to look through the script to find   
the script's version number."  
  
"So, we'll be getting our copies sometime today, then?" Jason asked.  
  
"I think so," G.Q. replied. "Anyways, Jason, there was something I wanted   
to ask you about." He paused as he glanced over at Lita and Amy. "Alone, if   
you don't mind."  
  
"Oh!" Lita said nodding as she and Amy turned to leave. "Certainly, G.Q."   
As they walked off, Lita turned to Amy and grinned knowingly. "By the way,   
Amy," she said slyly, "you never did elaborate on what happened last   
night. I mean, I know... but I'd rather hear it from you...." As they turned   
a corner, Amy began to blush furiously.  
  
"Lita...," Jason muttered exasperatedly to herself as he sighed.  
  
"Actually, Jason," G.Q. began, "that's exactly what I was going to talk to   
you about."  
  
"Wha?!?" Jason blurted in shock. "You've gotta be kidding me! Not you, too!"  
  
G.Q. grinned knowingly. "I'm not buying that nonsense about you two over-  
sleeping. Come on, spill it! What happened last night? Did you two...?"  
  
Jason nervously began to hush him while glancing around. "Not so loud! Do   
you want EVERYONE to hear?!?"  
  
"Talk," G.Q. ordered with a wide grin, "or I will. Loudly," he added with   
a menacing emphasis.  
  
"Some friend you are!" Jason muttered in a feigned hurt tone of voice.  
  
"Hey, I'm the one who's been talked about by everyone in Hollywood, all   
right?" G.Q. countered in a mock peevish voice. "Can't I get just a little   
compensation for that? Don't make me beg now...."  
  
"Okay, okay," he relented reluctantly. "What do you wanna know?"  
  
"Do I really have to repeat myself?" G.Q. asked, raising his eyebrow in   
amusement.  
  
Jason sighed again. "What happened last night? Well, first, we - Lita, Amy,   
and I - had dinner. An excellent curry dish, as I remember...."  
  
"Don't sidetrack, Jason," G.Q. warned in vexation.  
  
He merely grumbled to himself under his breath. "Anyway, after dinner, we   
started talking. You know, about the shoot, about how we've been doing...   
small talk. Well, it started getting late, and Lita wanted to go home.   
After Amy and I had come to our... understanding with the whole rumor   
thing, we found that we had a lot more to talk about than just small talk   
and business-related things. Amy suggested that Lita could go home while   
we continued talking, partly because she didn't want to have to stay when   
she wanted to go, and mostly because...."  
  
"You two wanted to be alone, right?" G.Q. finished slyly.  
  
Jason grimaced slightly. "Since you're the genius writer, maybe you'd like to   
tell this story," he remarked dryly.  
  
"Oh, no, that's quite all right," he said with a grin. "You go right ahead.   
Please continue."  
  
He rolled his eyes for a moment, but decided not to make any further   
remarks. "Yeah," he continued, "mostly because we wanted to be alone.   
Anyway, we started talking again, but this time, we were talking about more   
personal things. Well, at some point during the discussion, I couldn't   
resist anymore and I kissed her again."  
  
"Again?" G.Q. exclaimed. "As in, you've kissed her before?"  
  
"Didn't I tell you that?" Jason asked. His expression turned thoughtful for   
a moment. "Oh. I guess I didn't. That was before dinner, when Amy and I   
realized how we felt about each other."  
  
"I see," he said, nodding his head. "Go on."  
  
"Well, as soon as I kissed her, that pretty much ended all conversation for   
the night," he told her. "It may have been all the pent-up emotions both   
Amy and I had surpressed - each of us longing for the other, but unable to   
say anything - but that one kiss ignited something in both of us and...   
well, one thing led to another and... well...."  
  
G.Q. nodded knowingly. "You slept with her."  
  
Jason started to turn a light shade of red as he nodded agreement. "Yeah,"   
he agreed quietly, "we slept together. Now you know why we said we over-  
slept. Actually, we really did oversleep. We were so tired, we didn't hear   
the alarm go off. It was blaring for a good hour before Amy heard it and   
woke me up." A slow grin formed as he reminisced. "It was a great way to   
start the morning, though...."  
  
G.Q. laughed as he jovially slapped his friend on the shoulder. "I could   
imagine so, Jason. Well, I'm certainly happy for you. Now," he said as he   
started to lead his friend over to where Lita and Amy were talking, "the   
four of us have got to go out tonight to celebrate the beginning of the   
new couple's relationship. It'll be on me and Lita."  
  
Jason chuckled. "I'm sure Lita'd love to hear that." He noticed that his   
sister was looking at him with an approving gleam in her eyes. More that   
likely she had heard what happened from Amy. Well, now he'd never hear the   
end of it. He'd probably start hearing joking remarks about how she would   
be looking forward to becoming an aunt, and the like. Well, as long as he   
had Amy's love, he wouldn't mind.  
  
Much....  
  
**********************************************  
  
"Three days," Diane grumbled as she sat in her hotel room, totally irritated   
at the fact that she could find no trace of the man that she was looking for.   
She had visited the closest L.A.P.D. precinct to see if she could have one of   
their sketch artists make an accurate picture of the man that she remembered   
from the picture.  
  
The picture, though black and white and done in pencil, came out very well.   
The likeness was very close, but so far, no one had seen her kidnapper.  
  
"Three days," she muttered to herself again. "I can't believe that I've   
wasted this much time looking for him." She sighed as she plopped backwards   
onto the bed she was sitting on. "The problem is that there's too much of the   
city to comb, and I'm not even sure of the exact location of the crystal's   
whereabouts." She combed a hand tiredly through her hair as she sighed again.   
"Maybe I should go see somebody at that police station again. Maybe I can   
get some help there."  
  
Some time later, she arrived at the same police station she had visited   
before. "Excuse me," she said to the officer in the front office, "can I   
speak with Officer Taylor please? I believe she may remember me from Tuesday."  
  
"May I ask your name please, Miss...?"  
  
"Silver. Diane Silver."  
  
"Right," the officer replied. "Hold on while I see if she's at her desk." He   
got up and went over to the doorway and opened it, and peered inside. "Hey,   
is Christy in?"  
  
"Yeah," a female voice said just beyond the door. "She's talking with Chief   
Garret right now, though... Oh, wait. She just left his office."  
  
"Thanks," he told the woman, then turned to Diane. "You remember where her   
desk is?"  
  
"Yes, I remember," she replied.  
  
"Go ahead, then," the officer told her as he gestured toward the door.  
  
"Thanks," Diane thanked the man and went in.  
  
"Oh, Miss Silver!" Christy greeted as she sat down at her desk. "Any luck   
finding that man?"  
  
"No luck at all," she sighed. "None of the major hotels have seen him, nor   
have had him as a guest. Same thing with most of the motels. I'm wasting a   
lot of time searching and time's a luxury I don't have."  
  
"That reminds me," Christy said. "I've checked up on your guy, but we don't   
have any criminal record on him. Sorry."  
  
Diane sighed again. "Do you think any of your officers can keep a look out   
for him?" she asked.  
  
She frowned slightly. "I'm not the one to ask, Miss Silver. You could ask   
Chief Garret, but he's kinda busy with some important matters. I doubt he'd   
have time to help you."  
  
"I see," Diane said disappointedly. "Well, thanks anyways." She was about to   
get up when Christy's expression suddenly turned to one of realization.  
  
"Wait a minute, Miss Silver," she said. "I think I've got an idea."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"You need some help looking for this man, right?" she asked. "I know someone   
who'd be a big help to you."  
  
"Who?" Diane asked, interested.  
  
"He used to be a member of our precinct until a few years ago," she told her.   
"He's now a private investigator, who occasionally works for us on a few   
occasions when we're a little short on manpower. He was an excellent cop   
before he quit the force. I highly recommend using his services."  
  
"A private investigator?" she repeated doubtfully. "Well, I suppose it   
couldn't hurt. I could always use another pair of eyes. What's his name?"  
  
Christy smiled. "His name's Jack Terrance. I'll give you his address and   
directions from here." 'Heh,' she thought as she started writing on a piece   
of paper. 'Jack owes me one, now.'  
  
**********************************************  
  
"May I help you?" Tira asked as she turned from the computer to see Diane   
enter the office.  
  
"Yes," she replied as she closed the door behind her. "I'm hear to see Mr.   
Terrance. I was told by Officer Taylor from the L.A.P.D. that I'd find him   
here. Is he in?"  
  
"He should be here in a few moments," she told her. "He just stepped out for   
a moment to take care of some business...."  
  
"Hey, Ti, get the door will ya?" a male voice said from outside the door.   
"My hands are full!"  
  
"Oh! Coming, Jack!" she said as she rushed to the door and opened it. Jack   
walked in carrying a couple bags of fast food and a tray of drinks.  
  
Diane raised an eyebrow slightly at the brown-skinned secretary. "So, is your   
employer through with his... business?" she asked amusedly as she glanced at   
what Jack was carrying. Tira merely shrugged in chagrin.  
  
"I'm sorry," Jack said as he put the tray down and turned to Diane. "I guess   
you caught me on my lunch break. Well, I suppose I can hold off on lunch for   
a moment."  
  
"Jack, which drink's mine?" Tira asked.  
  
"The one with the straw already in it," he replied over his shoulder. He   
turned toward Diane and paused for a moment, admiring the beauty standing in   
front of him.  
  
"Hey, Jack...," Tira began again.  
  
"The one with no onions," he answered without taking his eyes off of Diane.   
"Now, what can I do for you, Miss...?"  
  
"Silver," she replied. "Diane Silver."  
  
"Christy told her about you," Tira added with a smirk as she took a sip from   
her soda. "Now you owe her one."  
  
Jack grimaced. "So I do," he said sheepishly.  
  
"What do you mean?" Diane asked.  
  
"It's an inside joke between Christy and myself," Jack explained. "I owe her   
a favor for her referring someone to me."  
  
"Oh," Diane replied. "Well, Mr. Terrance...."  
  
"Jack," he amended.  
  
"Jack," she corrected with a small grin. "I need some help in locating   
someone."  
  
"Do you have a photograph?" Jack asked.  
  
Diane handed the sketch of Jed over to him "I have a sketch of him...."  
  
"Daniel," he said as he glanced at the picture.  
  
"You know him?" she asked, her eyes wide open in surprise.  
  
"Hmm?" he said as he looked up. "Oh. I was referring to the person who drew   
this. Daniel Sandoval. He's one of the sketch artists who works for the   
L.A.P.D. He's a friend of mine. I recognize his work."  
  
"Oh."  
  
Jack glanced back at the picture as he took a sip of his drink and placed it   
back on the desk. "I don't recognize this person, nor have I seen him   
anywhere."  
  
"I see," she said as Jack handed her back her picture. "Well, any help in   
locating this man is very important to me."  
  
He merely nodded as he slowly glanced Diane up and down, taking in every   
detail of what she looked like. She wore a lovely white sleeveless blouse and   
black jeans and shoes. Her long blonde hair, however, drew his attention as   
much as her crystal blue eyes. She wore her hair in the most original hair-  
style he had ever seen: a pair of long ponytails on either side of her head,   
as well as a pair of hairbuns. She was gorgeous.  
  
Tira glanced at Jack all but staring at Diane and grinned childishly. She   
knew Jack, and she knew he was practically smitten. Good thing that his   
emotions never affected his thinking, otherwise she would've been worried.  
  
"When do you want us to help you start searching for this man?" Tira asked.  
  
"As soon as possible," Diane replied. "Preferably today."  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry," Tira began, "but we're busy...."  
  
"That's okay, Ti," Jack interrupted. "It'll be no problem. We'll take your   
case, Miss Silver."  
  
"Diane," she corrected gratefully as she reached out to shake his hand. "Oh,   
and Officer Taylor had already informed me about how much your usual fees   
run, so you don't have to tell me."  
  
Jack grimaced again. 'Now I really owe her....' "Well, when would you like   
to meet for updates on how the search progresses? We could do this on a   
weekly basis, or every three days, or...."  
  
"I would prefer to meet daily," she replied. "After all, I want to find this   
guy as soon as possible."  
  
He nodded. "May I ask why you need to find this man so badly?" he asked   
curiously.  
  
Diane thought for a moment. "I'm sorry, Jack, but I'm afraid that I can't   
tell you that. Let's just say that it's for... personal reasons."  
  
"I'll leave it at that, then," he agreed. "I would've recommended daily   
meetings, anyways. That way, it helps keep the client informed and updated   
on my current findings. Any specific time or place in mind?"  
  
"Not really," Diane replied. "I'm from out of town and I'm staying at...."  
  
"How about you just give me your hotel room number and I'll call you with   
a location, time, and directions?" Jack suggested.  
  
"All right," she replied as she started to write on a piece of paper that   
Jack handed her. "There. Thank you, Jack. Since all that is taken care of,   
I've got to get back to my searching. I'll be looking forward to good news   
tomorrow."  
  
"Okay, then," Jack said as he saw Diane to the door. "Thank you," he added as   
the door closed behind her.  
  
"Okay, lover boy," Tira commented as she tossed Jack hamburger playfully to   
him. "Eat your food before it gets cold." She crumpled up her trash and   
tossed it in the empty bag the food came in. "And what was that about taking   
her case right away? What about Erwight and Juléi? You giving up on them?"  
  
"I can do two things at once, you know," Jack replied nonchalantly as he   
took a bite from his hamburger. "Besides, Ti, there was something about   
her...."  
  
"I thought you were too busy drooling to notice anything," she remarked with   
a flippant grin. She quickly ducked as a burger wrapper flew mere inches over   
her head.  
  
"That's not what I meant, Ti," he replied with a smirk. "I mean that I felt   
that she was hiding something...."  
  
"Hiding something?" Tira repeated questioningly.  
  
"There's a very important reason why Diane's looking for that guy," he   
explained. "There was also something else about her...." He shook his head.   
"I don't know. There is definitely more to Miss Diane Silver than meets the   
eye. I'm sure of it."  
  
"Besides the fact that she's very cute?" Tira asked jokingly and ducked as an   
empty drink cup flew a few inches over her head.  
  
**********************************************  
  
It was past midnight on Saturday and the Stanton Aeronautical Engineering,   
Inc. building was practically empty. Here and there, spots of light showed   
throughout the tall building as some of the offices still had their lights   
on. Most of the offices, however, were only illuminated by the soft glow of   
computer moniters left on, with only their screen savers running.  
  
"So, Regina," Nate said as the two sat together in his car, "are you certain   
we can get in without any problems?"  
  
"For the last time, Nate," she said in a tired tone of voice, "yes. The   
security guards know that I sometimes have to work late for Mr. S, so they   
won't be suspicious."  
  
"All right, then," he said. "Well, as soon as you come back, we'll get going."  
  
"Are you sure it'll be all right to use your friends' house?" she asked.   
"What if he's using it?"  
  
"Not at this time of the year," he replied. "He always goes to his summer   
house in Orlando and leaves me the keys. He won't be using it. We can plan on   
where we should go after that. After all," he added, patting an attaché case   
in the back seat, "we'll be able to afford the trip."  
  
"Okay," she said with a smile as she gave Nate a short kiss, "I'll be right   
back with the gem." She got out of the car and started crossing the parking   
lot. They were parked amidst a small cluster of cars, most belonging to the   
security personnel, so as to be inconspicuous.  
  
"Working late again, Miss Juléi?" the guard on duty near the front desk asked   
as she entered.  
  
"Yeah," she agreed as she walked past, "but only for a little bit. Just need   
to take care of a small important matter for Mr. S. He's determined to   
squeeze as much work out of me as possible before my two weeks are up."  
  
"Right. Go on ahead," the guard said as he turned back to his monitor   
display. "I'm sorry to hear that you're leaving the company, though."  
  
Regina glanced thoughtfully over at the monitor display for a second. She'd   
have to be careful. Even though her boss rarely checked his safe, she didn't   
want to take any chances. That's why she had Nate purchase a fake crystal for   
her to switch with the real gem. There was no way that one could be mistaken   
for the other, but it was the best that she could do.  
  
As she entered her office, she turned on the light. She quickly went through   
a few of the tasks that she didn't finish yesterday, so as to have an excuse   
for being there, then went over to the door to her boss' office.  
  
The only times she went to his office were when she had to escort someone   
inside, like Mr. J, or when she had to go through his safe to retrieve   
whatever important classified documents, or any other valuable item. Mr. S   
was the one who put stuff in, not her. It was up to her to catalogue and   
check everything regularly. He did random checks of his safe inventory, to   
make sure everything was there, but other than that, he never really bothered   
with his safe.  
  
She quickly went through the combination to the safe and opened it. The only   
security camera in the room was placed in the far corner of the room.   
Luckily, the door of the safe hid her from the camera, so she was unobserved   
as she deftly slipped the fake crystal into the safe and switched it for the   
real one. She rustled the items inside, to make it seem like she was checking   
the inventory, then closed the safe and left the room and closed the door   
behind her. She then turned off the light to her office and left, saying a   
quick goodbye to the security guard on duty as she passed by the front desk   
on her way out of the building. She made sure to continue to walk calmly to   
where Nate was waiting for her, despite how nervous she was feeling right   
then.  
  
"Got it," she said as she got into the car and closed the door behind her.   
She produced the gem from her pocket and held it out. "Look, Nate. The Yellow   
Nijizuishou Crystal. Only six others like it in the world. Isn't it lovely?"  
  
"Absolutely," he agreed as he gazed down at the crystal in Regina's hand.   
After a short time gazing at the crystal, he turned forward again and started   
the car. "We'd better get going." With that, he pulled out and drove off,   
grinning as he began to see their plan coming into fruition.  
  
**********************************************  
  
To Chapter 15  
  
**********************************************  
  
Author's Note: And away we go! The pace is slowly starting to pick up now   
so hold on tight! Next chapter: Tanya's match-making scheme; Jack follows his   
suspects; Ryoku and Hotaru find themselves in too deep; and the Yellow   
Nijizuishou crystal is discovered stolen!  
  
Disclaimer: All original materials belong to their respective   
owners. Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi and a bunch   
of big companies. No copyright infringement is intended. This   
story belongs to Moonsong and myself, and I would appreciate   
you emailing her or myself for permission before posting it   
anywhere else. Thank you.  
  
Prologue Copyright © January 24, 2000 Moonsong.  
Other Chapters Copyright © August 12, 2000 Jason Ulloa.   
All Rights Reserved. 


	16. Chapter 15

Seeing Stars   
By Jason Ulloa   
Original story by Moonsong   
Continued with her permission.   
  
  
Chapter 15   
  
As soon as Amy announced the end of the work day - not to mention the work   
week since it was Friday - Tanya wasted no time in finding Darien. "So...,"   
she said with a bearly contained grin on her face. "Ready to go?"   
  
"Are you that hungry?" Darien asked jokingly.   
  
"Come on! Come on!" she said eagerly as she ushered him out the studio   
door. "Let's go already!"   
  
Serena watched Tanya herd Darien towards the exit with a dubious look on   
her face. 'What're you doing, Tanya?' she thought to herself. 'Why're you   
so interested in Shields? Don't tell me you're trying to go on a date with   
the guy,' she thought distastefully. 'Your taste in men isn't that bad....'   
  
"Something wrong, Serena?" Amy asked as she walked up to her.   
  
"Nothing," she said haughtily as she turned and strode toward the exit.   
  
"Hmph," Jason commented as he, G.Q., and Lita joined Amy. "Not her usual   
cheery self today, is she?"   
  
"No more than usual, as of late," she said as she shook her head. "Well,   
since we're done for today, let's go get something to eat, shall we?"   
  
"Is that why you let us off early, Amy?" G.Q. asked slyly.   
  
"Maybe she just wants to spend some time with her new boyfriend," Lita   
suggested with a equally sly grin.   
  
"I don't know what you're talking about," she replied innocently. "I just   
thought that we had done enough work for today."   
  
"Right...," G.Q. and Lita said in a wry, insinuating tone.   
  
"Leave off, you two," Jason said dryly as he rolled his eyes in vexation.   
"Anyways, where're we going?"   
  
"How 'bout we let the master chef choose our dining establishment?" G.Q.   
offered.   
  
"Sounds good to me!" Lita replied as she headed for the door. "I know just   
the place. The rest of you in the mood for some Chinese?"   
  
"Always!" Jason said eagerly as the others went through the door. "You know   
that's my favorite." He closed the door behind him and joined the others   
waiting at their cars.   
  
**********************************************   
  
It wasn't an extremely fancy place that Darien chose to go eat - especially   
since he was still on a limited budget - but, Tanya didn't seem to mind.   
She told him that she preferred the food over the atmosphere, anyway. That   
relieved him, since he thought that she might be thinking that he was cheap   
or something.   
  
"I know that you're still on a small budget, Darien," she said as she   
nibbled on a tortilla chip. "Not that this place isn't bad, either," she   
quickly added. "You're still starting out in your acting career. I still   
remember when I could only afford places like this whenever I wanted to go   
out to eat. Besides," she added with a wink, "I still like going to   
inexpensive restaurants. Some of 'em have some of the best food I've ever   
eaten!"   
  
"Then, I think you'll like it here," Darien added. "This place has some of   
the greatest Mexican food I've ever had."   
  
"Ooh, really?" she asked as a hungry look shone in her eyes. "What do you   
recommend?"   
  
"Try the enchiladas. Any one of 'em. There're all very good."   
  
After they had ordered and had their menus taken and water served, Tanya   
started to mentally go through some of her best matchmaking strategies.   
After all, Serena was almost like a sister to her. She had to make sure   
that this went well.   
  
"Say, Darien," she began after taking a sip of water, "what do you think   
of the movie so far?"   
  
"Hmm?" he asked as he ate a salsa-covered tortilla chip. "The movie?" he   
asked after drinking some water. "I think it's going pretty good."   
  
"You enjoy working with everyone?"   
  
"Everyone's been really helpful. Amy, Melvin, and Molly have all been   
really supportive, especially considering the risk they're taking giving a   
part like Jack Terrance to an inexperienced actor like me." Tanya nodded.   
"I've also been talking with Jason Evans - you know, one of the stunt   
coordinators? He's willing to teach me a few basic stunts that I can   
perform by myself. It seems that a lot of actors nowadays are trying to do   
their own stunts, so I figured that I could give it a shot." He smiled in   
chagrin. "Also, he said that he'd teach me, just so I wouldn't break a leg   
trying to teach myself."   
  
She laughed a little at that. "That would be horrible, now, wouldn't it?"   
she said. "Still, that might be a good idea. Some directors look favorably   
on actors who do their own stunts. Producers, too, though it's probably so   
they won't have to shell out additional money for stunt doubles and the   
like."   
  
"And you've been very nice to me," he continued. "I'm very grateful to have   
a friend like you. And such a great actress, too."   
  
Tanya blushed. "Now, quit that!" she said embarrassedly. "You'll make me   
think you're flirting, or something." They both laughed at that.   
  
"And what about Serena?" Tanya asked after the laughing had subsided.   
  
Darien was quiet for a moment. "Well...," he began hesitantly. "She's a   
very professional actress and very talented. I just wish that she didn't   
hate me as much as she does. I mean, I apologized for ruining her dress and   
I'm gonna pay her back, but...."   
  
Tanya nodded knowingly. "Serena has a tendancy to lose her temper easily,"   
she explained. "She also has a tendancy to hold grudges for a long time."   
She sighed softly as she shook her head. "Do you want to know why it seems   
like you're always making her angry at you?"   
  
Darien's expression turned to one of intense interest. "Why?" he asked   
softty, his voice heavy with a desire to know.   
  
"Well, she doesn't really hate you," Tanya explained. "I know this because   
she not only recongizes you as an actor, but she has actually told me that   
you have some acting skill. Coming from a professional perfectionist like   
her, that translates into 'you have a great deal of acting potential'."   
  
"You're kidding," he said, his expression displaying shocked disbelief.   
  
"I'm not," she said, giving him a pointed look for emphasis. "Believe it or   
not, she actually has some respect for your acting skills, or at least,   
your potential. It's just the sudden rise to an equal status to her own   
that's got her pissed."   
  
"That, I know," he said in a dry tone.   
  
Tanya sighed in vexation. "I've known the woman for a long time and I love   
her like a sister, but sometimes I wonder about her," she said, shaking her   
head. "She never used to be so arrogant and haughty, Darien," she confided   
to him. "In fact, she was a very sweet person when I first met her in high   
school."   
  
"Maybe all her fame went to her head?" he reasoned.   
  
She shook her head vehemently. "No, no, no! She's not like that! It's   
just.... Well, I suppose that lately she's been very stressed about her   
work and...." She trailed off for a moment, then stared down at the table.   
"You know, before I got hired for this flick, I haven't heard from her in   
months. She's been so busy that she's had little time to herself."   
  
Darien frowned in thought. "Yeah, I suppose stress could do that to a   
person," he said thoughtfully, then looked questioningly at Tanya. "But,   
why are you telling me all this?"   
  
"There are actually two reasons, Darien," she said quietly as she looked   
back up at him. She held up one finger. "Because I don't want you to get   
the wrong idea about Serena. She doesn't hate you, or anything like that."   
She then held up another finger. "Also - and I don't want you to tell her I   
told you this - I've seen the way she looks at you when she thinks no one   
is looking. Not only is she extremely busy, but she's lonely as well."   
  
"A woman as beautiful as her...," he said in surprise, "...lonely? I   
would've thought that lots of guys would just love to go out with her."   
  
"That's true," she admitted, "but she can't stand most actors. A lot of   
them have become flashy and overconfident to the point of arrogance."   
  
"Sort of like her," he said wryly.   
  
"Now, that's not fair," she said petulantly. "I've already tried to get you   
to see beyond that arrogant, haughty façade that she shows."   
  
"Right," he said with a small grin. "It's because she's a perfectionist and   
it's so she can scare off any of those pretty-boy actors she can't stand."   
  
Tanya grimaced at that remark. "Well, if you want to put it like that...,"   
she said dryly. "Anyway, I hope you can understand a little of what my   
friend is going through, so you won't think too badly of her."   
  
Darien considered everything Tanya had told him as a waiter brought a huge   
tray with two large platters of food on them. He also considered what she   
hadn't said to him. 'She said that Serena was lonely, but she also   
mentioned that she sometimes stares at me. Does that mean that Serena's   
interested in me? Can't be... could it? Could Serena Moon actually have   
some interest in me?'   
  
"Don't just sit there and stare at the ceiling, Darien," Tanya said,   
breaking him out of his thoughts. "Your food'll get cold."   
  
"Oh. Right," he said as he reached for his utensils. He could think about   
his problems with the blonde actress later.   
  
**********************************************   
  
"What a beautiful morning!" Molly exclaimed as she walked into the office   
on Monday. Just like yesterday, G.Q. and Melvin were going over the movie   
script. The script color was still yellow, so she guessed that they haven't   
made any changes yet... or haven't finished making them so they could make   
the new script revision. Knowing Melvin, it was probably the latter.   
  
"Ah, Molly!" G.Q. said as he looked up at her from over Melvin's shoulder.   
"There you are! We were hoping that you'd stop by before we finished up."   
  
"Finished up?" she asked, curious. "You're done with the new revision   
already?"   
  
"Well, yeah," he replied. "You see, I was in such a rush to get the first   
revision out, that I only made changes to the first half of the movie   
script. This time, I wanted to go over all the changes with Melvin and Amy.   
You know, get feedback on the changes I've made.   
  
"I've already gone over the changes with Amy and the Evans twins, and I've   
also outlined some additional stuntwork and choreography that might be   
needed," he added. "Perhaps you'd like to go over these changes as well,   
so as to add your own opinions?"   
  
"I'm sure you have everything well in hand, G.Q.," she told him, "but I   
wouldn't mind having a copy of the new revision when it is distributed."   
  
"No problem," Melvin replied with a grin. "Actually, we were going to do   
just that."   
  
"That would be wonderful," she said in satisfaction. "Well, shall I go   
inform Amy that she can expect the revision sometime tomorrow?"   
  
"Yes," G.Q. added. "Tell her that the green revision will be ready by   
tomorrow."   
  
"Green, this time?" Molly asked curiously. "Tell me, G.Q., do you just   
choose new colors at random, or is their a set color for each revision?"   
  
"There is a set color," he explained. "White is obviously the first   
revision. Yellow is second. Then, there's green, then red, then silver. I   
reserve the color blue for final revisions. Once I go to blue, then there   
will no longer be any more changes done to the script. If I need to go   
farther than silver, then I'm not doing my job well enough."   
  
Both Melvin and Molly laughed at that. "I suppose so," Melvin said with a   
broad grin. "But, I'm sure that we won't have to go that far, right, G.Q.?"   
  
"I hope so," he said, smiling. "Now, let's go take care of this new script."   
  
**********************************************   
  
Jack frowned suspiciously. Something just didn't seem right about Juléi   
this morning. She seemed... anxious. Eager.   
  
He had been following her all morning when he started noticing a subtle   
change. For a woman on her last days at her job and having apparently no   
new job lined up, she seemed to be preparing for a long vacation. She had   
gone on a small shopping binge that day, buying clothes fit for a tropical   
getaway: swimsuits, mostly bikinis; some new summer outfits; even some   
rather expensive designer sunglasses. Considering the size of her secretary   
salary, she must've gotten some extra cash somewhere....   
  
Erwight.   
  
**********************************************   
  
"All right!" Tira yelled excitedly when Jack walked into his office. The   
sounds of a computer game being played filled the room. "Oh! Hey, Jack!"   
she said sheepishly when he came in. "Back so soon?"   
  
He sighed to himself. "Slow day, Ti?"   
  
"Oh, this?" she asked, pointing to the screen. "I just needed a small   
break, that's all."   
  
Jack smirked. "Uh-huh," he said skeptically. "Well, if you're done with   
your... break, you can help me with a little something."   
  
"What is it?" she asked as she ended her game.   
  
"Can you find where Erwight works?" he asked as he went into the back room.   
  
"You mean, where he used to work?" she asked as she turned back to the   
computer.   
  
"What?" he called back, confused by what she had said. "Used to?"   
  
"Yeah," she replied as she brought up the file they had on him. "Used to.   
Remember when you asked me to keep track of their jobs in case either one   
one of them suddenly decides to quit?"   
  
"Yeah. Juléi's two week notice is almost up, so Erwight suddenly decided to   
quit, just like that?"   
  
"As of Saturday evening, Erwight is now unemployed," Tira confirmed.   
  
"But, the question is: Is Erwight still going home each night?" Jack said   
as he exited the back room with a small black bag. "Or, is he now shacking   
up with Juléi?"   
  
"And what about the man Miss Silver wants you to find?" Tira asked   
suddenly. "How have you been doing there?"   
  
Jack shook his head. "No luck so far," he replied. "I've asked around at   
the bars and clubs. None of the bartenders have seen our nameless friend."   
He raised up the bag and shook it a little bit. She knew he had his   
telescopic camera in that bag. "Anyway, I'm off to go follow Juléi some   
more. If Erwight's not staying at home anymore, then I want to know where   
he's staying. She'll lead me to him. I know it."   
  
"Before you leave, Jack," she interjected, holding up a slip of paper, "I   
have a message for you from Miss Silver. She wants to know when and where   
you want to meet her today."   
  
Jack grimaced. "I almost forgot!" he muttered to himself. "Ti, can you tell   
her to meet me at the club on Harrison and Colorado Ave. It shouldn't be   
too hard for her to find."   
  
**********************************************   
  
"Mmm...," Ryoku moaned weakly as he stirred. He felt so faint and his   
head was pounding fiercely. Everything was in pitch black darkness; he   
could hardly make out any figures in the blackness. The only light he could   
make out was a narrow, horizontal slit of light; more than likely it was   
coming from underneath the door to the next room. There didn't seem to be   
any windows in this room. That fact worried him.   
  
Underneath his head, he felt his pillow move. "Ryo-chan?" he heard Hotaru's   
voice say softly from close overhead. That's when he realized that his head   
was lying on her lap. "Are you awake?" Her voice was filled with concern.   
  
"Hai...," he muttered quietly.   
  
She carefully shifted herself so that they both could be a little more   
comfortable, since her leg was falling asleep from letting him use it as a   
pillow. "Ryo-chan, daijoubu?"   
  
"I have a splitting headache and I feel very weak, but other than that, I'm   
okay," he said as he reached up to feel his head. There was a bandage tied   
around and over his head. "The last thing I remember was that man tossing   
me over the balcony." Unseen in the darkness, his expression turned to one   
of apprehension and fear. "What happened, Hotaru-chan?"   
  
Hotaru took Ryoku's hand with both of her own. "It was awful," she said,   
on the verge of tears. "That man... Mr. Jade... he almost killed you,   
Ryo-chan! You were bleeding heavily from having your scalp split open.   
That's why you have the bandage on."   
  
"Where are we?" he asked warily. It couldn't be the hospital; they don't   
let paitents sleep using their girlfriend's lap as a pillow.   
  
"After I tried to run down to see if you were still alive, Mr. Jade caught   
me and threatened to kill me," she continued. "After he got his knife back,   
he told me that if I wanted you to live, I had to willingly go with him as   
his hostage."   
  
"We've been kidnapped?!?" he exclaimed in shock.   
  
She nodded silently. "He doesn't lock our door, you know," she said   
quietly. "You're not well enough to be moved, and he knows that I won't try   
to escape without you."   
  
"You mean to tell me that you're a captive because of me?" he asked, still   
shocked. "Why? Don't you know how worried your father's going to be? You   
should've just left me to die!"   
  
Hotaru started to cry. "Don't you dare say that!" she choked out between   
sobs. "You risked your life to protect me, Kino Ryoku, and for that, I   
would do almost anything for you. If I can save your life in return, then   
that would be worth the risk. I'm sure Dad would understand why I'm doing   
this."   
  
Ryoku lifted his other arm and gently caressed Hotaru's cheek. "My brave,   
loyal, lovely Hotaru-chan...," he murmured softly as he wiped away her   
tears. "I truly am a lucky man to have such a wonderful girlfriend like   
you. We shall take care of each other, then."   
  
"Ryo-chan...," she said happily as she leaned her head against his hand.   
  
"You sound tired, Hotaru-chan," he said with a small yawn.   
  
"You do, too," she added tiredly. "We should get some sleep." She gently   
lifted his head off her lap and placed it gently on the bed she was sitting   
on a moment ago, then stood up.   
  
"Where are you going to sleep?" he asked curiously.   
  
"On the floor," she replied with a yawn.   
  
"That's not right," he said quietly. "Ladies should not have to sleep on   
the floor."   
  
"But, that's the only bed and you need it," she told him. "Unless you're   
suggesting that we share it," she added with a playful laugh.   
  
"Why not?" he asked sincerely. "Besides, I know you're a little frightened.   
I am, too. I know I'd feel a lot better if you were close to me."   
  
Hotaru's smile couldn't be seen in the darkness, but that didn't matter   
when she climbed into the bed with him. She sighed in contentment as she   
felt his arms encircle her waist. Both of their lives may've been in mortal   
danger, but right then, she felt protected in her boyfriend's loving   
embrace. Sleep came easily.   
  
**********************************************   
  
In the other room, Jed was gazing contemplatively at the two Nijizuishou   
crystals in his possession. It was too dangerous to go after the next   
crystal right now, since the police were busy searching for the man   
responsible for kidnapping Tomoe's daughter and her boyfriend.   
  
It was his good fortune to have found a place to live so quickly upon   
arriving in Washington. Hotels were horrible places to plan his aquisitions   
from; too many petty criminals used them to base their burglaries from.   
Police knew that fact, too. That, and some hotel workers have long   
memories. It would only take one person matching face to name for him to be   
in a world of trouble.   
  
Back to the Tomoe girl, again. Those two were going to be a burden on him.   
He could hardly perform his job and babysit those two. He couldn't kill   
them; at least, not unless it was a last resort. If the boyfriend had died,   
then he would've killed the Tomoe girl. Since he lived, he had a means to   
control her with. That was also the only reason he didn't have her tied up.   
But, that would have to change when the boy starts to get better.   
  
On the table in front of him, his cell phone rang. The screen displayed   
Max's private business line. He only used that line if he needed to contact   
him for something important.   
  
"Jed, here," he said, answering the phone.   
  
"Where are you?" Max asked. His voice sounded annoyed.   
  
"D.C.," he replied. "Some unforseen circumstances are keeping me here, but   
I think I might be able to find a way out and on to Vancouver soon."   
  
"I want you to forget the crystals and come back as soon as you can," Max   
said urgently.   
  
Jed blinked in surprise. "Forget the crystals? Why? What happened?"   
  
"I have a more important job for you to take care of first," Max replied   
darkly. "It involves taking care of an ex-employee and retriving an item   
she took from me."   
  
"That's it?!?" he exclaimed. "Why do you need me? Can't the police take   
care of it? What could be so important that you don't want the police   
involved...." His eyes widened in shock. "You don't mean...."   
  
"The police may take forever in getting it back," Max said calmly. "I don't   
want to wait that long. I can count on you to get the job done. Get back my   
Yellow Nijizuishou crystal, Jed. The sooner, the better."   
  
Jed frowned slightly. "It'll be hard getting out of here, but I think I can   
handle it." He was going to have to find a way to keep the Tomoe girl and   
her boyfriend from escaping, as well as keep them from starving to death   
since he wouldn't be there. "I'll be there as soon as I can."   
  
"Good. I'll be waiting." There was a click as Max hung up his phone.   
  
Jed hung up his phone and frowned thoughtfully. He was going to have to   
start preparing for his departure. As he got up, he turned toward the door   
to the room where he captives were being held and grinned to himself. He   
had just come up with an answer to his problem.   
  
**********************************************   
  
To Chapter 16   
  
**********************************************   
  
Author's Note: And another chapter comes to a close. Things are picking up   
as Darien starts to wonder if he could actually get Serena interested in   
him. Meanwhile, on the movie side of the fic, we're coming closer to the   
point where Jack and Diane will get caught up in the hunt for Nijizuishou!   
Next chapter: Jack meets with Diane; Darien tries to get to know Serena   
better; Hotaru and Ryoku discover that they're trapped with no way out; and   
Jed makes his way to L.A. to retrieve the Yellow Nijizuishou crystal.   
  
Disclaimer: All original materials belong to their respective   
owners. Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi and a bunch   
of big companies. No copyright infringement is intended. This   
story belongs to Moonsong and myself, and I would appreciate   
you emailing her or myself for permission before posting it   
anywhere else. Thank you.   
  
Prologue Copyright © January 24, 2000 Moonsong.   
Other Chapters Copyright © August 12, 2000 Jason Ulloa.   
All Rights Reserved.


	17. Chapter 16

Seeing Stars  
By Jason Ulloa  
Original story by Moonsong  
Continued with her permission.  
  
  
Chapter 16  
  
'I hope she's there,' Jack thought to himself as he pulled up to the club he   
had told her to meet him at. 'I'd hate to have to wait for her when I was   
planning on following Juléi.'  
  
He quickly parked his car and got out. He glanced around, wondering if Diane   
was going to meet him outside, but he didn't see her anywhere. He quickly   
locked his car and entered the club.  
  
'There she is.' The blonde-haired woman was quietly alternating between   
sipping at her drink and idly stirring the ice cubes as she waited for him.   
'Obviously, she found this place well enough.'  
  
"There you are," Diane said with a small smile as she gestured for him to   
take a seat next to her at the bar. "Well?" she asked as he sat down. "Any   
luck so far?"  
  
Jack quietly shook his head. "None of my contacts have seen him at all, nor   
know anyone who has," he reported. "I've checked out a few more hotels to   
see if our friend has checked in between then and the last time I checked.   
Still nothing."  
  
"Oh," she replied, slightly disappointed. "Well, I suppose it's supposed to   
take a while in a city this size, right? Still, I want to know the moment   
that man is found. You'll do that for me, right?"  
  
"The very second," Jack promised solemnly.  
  
"By the way," she added conversationally, "how are you coming along on that   
other case you're working on?"  
  
Jack blinked for a second, then grinned. "Oh, yeah. Ti did kinda indirectly   
mention that I was working on another case, didn't she? Well, I'm sure that   
I'm just about to get some hard evidence on them soon, so I can turn the   
case over to the police and leave it to them."  
  
"And you can put your full attention to my case," she added pointedly.  
  
Jack smirked as he nodded. 'She may have a one-track mind, but God, she's   
beautiful....' He glanced at his watch; Juléi wasn't due to get off work for   
about an hour, so he had a few minutes to kill. "Care for another?" he   
offered, gesturing to her almost finished drink.  
  
Diane glanced down at her drink momentarily, then grinned. "Buying a drink   
for your client?" she asked with a hint of amusement. "Is this a sort of   
apology for not finding the person I'm looking for yet...." Her grinned   
widened playfully. "...or are you trying to hit on me?"  
  
Jack blinked in surprise. "Oh, uh, I... um... not that... I mean...," he   
stammered. 'I wasn't expecting that....'  
  
Diane laughed inwardly. 'Now, that was interesting,' she thought as her   
smile turned mischevious. 'Maybe I can have some fun with him for a bit....'   
She raised an eyebrow slightly as she put both hands on her hips with her   
elbows akimbo. "Oh, so you were trying to hit on me?" she asked, winking at   
him as she stood up. "How cute. Well, maybe I'd consider it... but, only if   
you at least try to come up with some good pick-up lines. I mean, the direct   
approach is fine, but there's hardly any creativity in it, now is there?"  
  
"Eh?" Jack asked as his expression became more and more confused.  
  
'Oh, this is rich,' she thought with great amusement. It was all she could   
do to keep from laughing at him. 'Still, maybe I shouldn't take this too   
far. After all, I don't wanna make the guy get all nervous around me.' She   
sat back down and grinned at him. "I was only joking with you, Jack," she   
admitted. "Sure, I'll have another drink."  
  
"Huh? Oh," he said, recovering from his chagrin. He then chuckled as he   
called the bartender over. "Another for the lady and one for myself," he   
ordered as he turned back to Diane. "You know, you're a pretty good actor if   
you could fool me like that, Diane."  
  
"What can I say?" she replied as she vainly flipped her twin ponytails   
behind her head. "It's a talent."  
  
**********************************************  
  
Ryoku awoke to find Hotaru looking down at him, worry present in her dark,   
violet eyes. "Something wrong, Hotaru-chan?" he asked with deep concern in   
his voice. At that moment, he realized that he could see her face. There was   
light in the room. A glance beyond Hotaru showed an open door at the end of   
the barren room. There were only three things there: a bed, a door, and a   
barred window with the view of another building filling it. That was most   
likely the reason that there was no light when he woke up that one time.  
  
"There's good news and bad news," she told him.  
  
"Go on."  
  
"The good news is that Mr. Jade's gone."  
  
He blinked. "That's not good," he said partly to himself in worry.  
  
Hotaru looked at him in shock. "Nani yo? Why is it bad?!?"  
  
"Look at it this way; we know who kidnapped us, ne?"  
  
"Hai...."  
  
"So, if he's gone, what's to keep us from from escaping and going to the   
police? If he can break into a house like yours with a security system like   
yours, he's gotta be smarter than your average burglar/kidnapper," he   
explained. "If there's something so important that he has to abandon his   
captives to take care of it...." He shook his head. "Still, he can't have   
left us without some way of making sure that we don't escape." He paused for   
a moment. "Anou... what's the bad news?"  
  
"We're locked inside here," she told him. "The door going outside has been   
welded shut. All the windows have bars on them, so we can't break a window   
in order to escape... even if we could break the windows," she added in a   
deflated voice.  
  
"Nande? What do you mean, if?" he asked, his voice both confused and alarmed.  
  
"I've already tried to break some of the windows when I noticed that Mr.   
Jade had left," she told him. "Not even a scratch."  
  
"Does that bastard mean to starve us to death?" he muttered angrily as he   
sat up.  
  
"We have food," Hotaru replied as she sat down next to him and put her head   
down on his shoulder. "But, it won't last very long. I guess we have about   
a couple weeks worth left. I don't think Mr. Jade was planning on staying   
long."  
  
"I just hope he'll be back before we completely run out of food," he said   
quietly.  
  
"Ryo-chan...," she said in a frightened whisper, "...are we going to die?"  
  
"To be completely honest, Hotaru-chan," he replied as he held her tightly,   
"I don't know."  
  
"Ryo-chan, I'm scared."  
  
"I am, too, Hotaru-chan. I am, too."  
  
**********************************************  
  
"Cut!" Amy shouted. "Very good people!"  
  
"Hey, isn't it time for lunch, yet?" Serena asked as she walked over to   
where Amy was sitting. "Don't you wanna go have lunch with your new   
boyfriend?" she added slyly in a low voice.  
  
Amy blinked in surprise. "What...?"  
  
"Oh, don't gimme that," she said with a sly grin. "You and that stuntman   
were practically all over each other yesterday morning, and today you both   
try to act like it's business as usual." Her grin deeped. "I think I know   
what's going on between you two...."  
  
Amy began to blush furiously. "Oh, come on, now!" she began heatedly.   
"What're you trying to do, have more rumors started about me? It's bad   
enough that I've got the ones with me and G.Q. over my head, but...."  
  
"Okay, okay," Serena cut in. "Jeez, don't get all excited. I was only   
playing around; you know, staying in character."  
  
"Character, my foot," Amy muttered. "You just like giving people a hard   
time."  
  
"Something wrong with that?" she asked as she started to walk away. "I think   
of it as my way of keeping people on their toes."  
  
Amy sighed to herself as she called out a lunch break. At least she could   
spend some time with Jason. That would make her feel a lot better. In fact,   
just thinking about him made her feel a lot better. 'Oh boy, have I got it   
bad....' She smiled to herself. 'But, under the circumstances, I don't   
really care.'  
  
**********************************************  
  
"Hey, Serena!" Darien called out as soon as he saw her.  
  
"Oh, it's you, Shields," she said flatly as soon as she heard him. "What do   
you want? I'm kinda in the middle of going to lunch...."  
  
"That's what I wanted to talk to you about," he said. "I wanted to know if   
you'd care to go to lunch with me. I'd treat of course...." He paused as   
Serena started to laugh at him.  
  
"Oh, don't get me wrong, Shields," she said when she stopped laughing. "I   
wouldn't mind being treated to lunch by you again. What makes me laugh is   
that you didn't learn your lesson last time. Haven't you forgotten how much   
it costs to go to the restaurants where I frequent?"  
  
Darien grimaced. "I haven't forgotten," he murmured as he stared down at the   
ground, then looked up at Serena again. "But still, I'd like it very much if   
you'd allow me to treat you to lunch."  
  
Serena gave Darien a flat, skeptical look. "Really, Shields?" she asked, her   
voice absent of any rancor. Instead, she seemed to be perplexed. 'Why's he   
so determined to treat me to lunch all of a sudden? He's never been so eager   
to do so before.... I wonder if it was something Tanya said to him   
yesterday? I'll have to ask her later....'  
  
"Really, Serena," he replied earnestly.  
  
"Well, then," she replied with a small grin, "let's go. We'll take my car."  
  
"You don't mind me riding in your car?"  
  
"As long as you don't do anything to damage the interior. It was all custom-  
made, you know. You wreck it and you'll know exactly how much of a bitch I   
can be."  
  
Darien nodded as if he was expecting it. 'Funny, this time she didn't seem   
to mean it as much.... Maybe she's starting to really lighten up towards me.   
I just hope I've got enough on my credit card to pay for this....'  
  
After they both climbed into Serena's car, she paused with her key on the   
ignition. "Tell you what, Shields," she said as she turned to look at him.   
"I'm in the mood to try something a little different. How about you pick the   
place?"  
  
Darien's eyes widened in disbelief. "You're serious?" he asked.  
  
"You want me to repeat myself?" she asked flatly. "I could always go back   
to...."  
  
"No, no, that's quite all right," he quickly cut in. "I'll give you the   
directions."  
  
"All right, then," she replied as she turned the key and started her car.  
  
**********************************************  
  
"A pizza parlor?" Serena asked with one eyebrow raised as she pulled up to   
the place Darien directed her to.  
  
"You said you wouldn't mind something different," Darien pointed out.  
  
"So I did," she admitted. "Well, this is... different. Still, Shields, I'm   
not exactly the sort of clientele places like this normally get, if you know   
what I mean."  
  
"Oh," he replied. "Afraid of getting mobbed for autographs?"  
  
"It's not that, Shields," she told him. "It's just that... well, they'd   
start waiting on me hand and foot and fawning over me. They'd be so worried   
about disappointing me that I'd get very uncomfortable just being there."  
  
Darien blinked in surprise. He'd thought that she enjoyed the royal   
treatment.  
  
"Oh, I can tell what you're thinking, Shields," she said with a frown.   
"Probably something along the lines of, 'But doesn't she want people to   
serve her every whimsy?', right? Well, it's not like that, Shields. I'm a   
professional; I demand nothing but perfection when it comes to my work.   
However, when I'm off the job, that's a totally different story. Get me,   
Shields?"  
  
"I understand," he replied with a nod. He frowned thoughtfully as an idea   
suddenly formed into his head. "Listen, Serena, I think I've got a better   
place in mind, but I've got to call ahead to get it set up."  
  
It was Serena's turn to frown. "What are you plotting, Shields?" she asked   
suspiciously.  
  
"Trust me, okay?" he asked earnestly.  
  
Serena's frown softened a bit. "I don't know why, but I'll trust you. Even   
though it goes against my better judgement."  
  
"All right," he said gratefully as he got out of the car. "I'll be right   
back."  
  
"Don't take too long, or I'm leaving you here," she shot back as he hurried   
away to the nearest pay phone and quickly dialed a certain friend's number.  
  
"The Crown," Andrew answered. "Craven speaking."  
  
"Hey, Andrew, it's me," Darien said quickly. "Listen, I need a favor and I   
need it really fast."  
  
"What is it, Dare?" Andrew asked.  
  
"I'm bringing over a co-worker of mine from the shoot to your place for   
lunch," Darien explained. "She doesn't want a lot of publicity, nor does   
she want to get loaded down with people begging for an autograph. Just a   
booth and some peace. Think you can arrange it before I get there?"  
  
"This is very sudden," Andrew said after a pause. "Dare, can I ask who   
you're bringing over?"  
  
"Andrew, can you do it?" he asked insistently. "Please, Andrew. This is   
very important to me."  
  
There was another pause. "Where are you, Darien?"  
  
"Antonio's."  
  
"Just don't get here too quickly," he replied. "I'll need a little bit of   
time to set up."  
  
"Thanks, Andrew," Darien said gratefully. "I owe you one."  
  
"No problem, Dare. I'm glad I could help," Andrew replied as he hung up the   
phone.  
  
"Okay, Serena," Darien said as he got back into the car, "I know a better   
place we can go to. A friend of mine owns the place and he'll pretty much   
guarantee you peace and quiet."  
  
"Shields, if your friend can guarantee me peace and quiet, then I'll treat   
you to lunch," she replied as she pulled out of the parking lot and drove   
off.  
  
**********************************************  
  
Andrew had just finished getting everything set up when Serena's car pulled   
up. At Darien's suggestion, she had let her hair down out of her trademark   
twin ponytails to avoid notice, as well as wearing a pair of sunglasses. At   
the sunglasses, she remarked that she hoped that they disguised her better   
than they had tried to disguise him the last time they had lunch together.  
  
As the pair quickly entered the Crown, Andrew promptly showed them to a   
booth at the far end of the establishment. It wasn't used quite as often as   
the booths further up, due to the proximity to the video games and pool   
tables - a recent change, Darien noted.  
  
"What is this place?" Serena asked with the tone of someone seeing something   
familiar, yet at the same time, totally brand new.  
  
"This's the Crown," Andrew explained as he walked up to them. "This place   
mainly caters to college students and university professors... and the   
occassional actor or actress," he added with a slight grin as Darien sighed.   
"I assure you that you will not be bothered here, Miss Moon," he told her   
with a wry smirk aimed at Darien.  
  
"I told you that these shades couldn't fool a six year-old, Shields," Serena   
muttered dryly.  
  
"It's not that, Miss Moon," Andrew explained. "It's just that I already knew   
that he was working with you on a new movie. Combined with the fact that he   
begged me to make sure that you wouldn't be disturbed while you were here,   
combined with the fact that I'm a big fan of yours...."  
  
"And a big kiss-ass," Darien said partly to himself, while Serena chuckled   
and Andrew smacked him in the shoulder.  
  
"And after I went through all this trouble for you, Dare?" he said   
hurtfully. "How ungrateful you are!" he added jokingly as he turned to   
leave. "I'll be servicing your table personally, so just let me know what   
you two want when I come back."  
  
After he left, Serena sat back against the cushioned back of their booth and   
sighed contentedly. "Do you feel that, Shields?" she asked.  
  
"Feel what?" he asked, puzzled.  
  
"The feeling that you're no longer the center of attention," she replied   
with a childish smile. "No one's staring at you in awe, like you're royalty   
or something, trying to fulfill your every wish. No one's coming after you,   
begging for something of yours that you can just parcel out; the autograph   
being a small piece of you that they can own and proudly display, saying   
that it was personally given to him by you, which makes him special in turn.   
True peace and quiet. Feel it, Shields. Should you, by some incredible twist   
of fate, attain the level of notoriety that I have, peace such as this is   
rare and fleeting. Enjoy it while you can."  
  
Darien stared at Serena, who had her eyes closed as was truly savoring her   
small feeling of tranquility. This was a side of Serena that he had never   
known had existed. Tanya was right; Serena was lonely. She was alone in a   
crowd; people seeing her only for her fame and status, not as just Serena   
Moon.  
  
Andrew came back with a couple of glasses of water and took their drink   
orders. "Tell me, Andrew," Serena requested as he was beginning to leave   
again. "You're so sure that you can guarantee my privacy here. How is this   
possible?"  
  
"It's the location of your booth," Andrew explained as he turned to leave,   
a wry smirk forming on his face again. "You see, the booths in this area   
have a certain... romantic reputation with the college kids here, if you get   
my point."  
  
Serena's eyes widened as she realized what Andrew was talking about.   
"Slick," she chuckled softly to herself. "Real slick. I've gotta hand it to   
that friend of yours, Shields."  
  
"What do you mean, Serena?"  
  
"You don't get it?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "I know you're not that   
dense, Shields. Think about it."  
  
Darien's eyes widened as well, once he also realized what Andrew had done.   
"He's passing us off as just another couple wanting to spend time alone," he   
reasoned.  
  
"So, now you know," Andrew said as he brought their drinks. "I've really   
got to hand it to you, Darien," he added with a friendly grin. "I thought   
that Miss Moon, here, would stay mad at you forever because of what you did   
to her dress."  
  
"Man, Andrew, did you have to bring THAT up?" Darien asked exasperatedly.  
  
"Since he's promised to pay me back for the damages, I don't see why I   
should stay mad," Serena told him. "Oh, by the way, you don't have to keep   
calling me 'Miss Moon'. It sounds way to formal for this type of atmosphere."  
  
"I'm glad you feel that way about my establishment, Serena," Andrew said   
gratefully. He took both of their orders then left, telling them that their   
orders would be done shortly. They talked for a little bit longer until   
Andrew came back with their food, then left again to let them enjoy their   
meal in peace.  
  
"Shields, I really have to thank you," she told him after they had eaten and   
paid their bill. Andrew was especially pleased when she had given him an   
autographed thank-you written on a customer suggestion card. They were   
currently on their way back to the studio.  
  
"For what?"  
  
"For giving me something I'd thought I'd never enjoy again," she told him.   
"A chance to actually relax and enjoy some peace from this hectic job of   
mine."  
  
"It was my pleasure," he replied. "If you want, I could see if I could talk   
Andrew into doing this more often."  
  
Serena smiled gratefully at him. "You'd do that for me?" she asked, then   
frowned slightly. "You'd do that for me, after all I've done to you? After   
how I've been treating you for the whole time I've known you?"  
  
"Yes, Serena," he said sincerely. "I would gladly do that for you."  
  
"Why?" she asked as her frown turned sad.  
  
"Because I care," he replied simply. "That's all the reason I need."  
  
The rest of the trip to the studio was made in silence as Serena pondered   
Darien's words.  
  
**********************************************  
  
Jed woke up from his nap. He felt the plane descending to a lower altitude.   
Good. That meant that he was almost there. The transcontinental flight   
wasn't that bad - the dinner was horribly underportioned, though, and the   
chicken was dry to boot - but that hardly mattered. Still, if he was going   
to have to keep taking these kinds of flights, couldn't the accommodations   
be a little bit better? Maybe he should've popped for first class, but he   
was in a hurry and he didn't want to draw any unwanted attention. That was   
the last thing he needed.  
  
The bounce of the jet's wheels hitting the runway announced another textbook   
landing for the jet's pilots. Big deal. He just wished that it didn't have   
to take so long for the plane to get to the gate terminal. He wanted to be   
out of this plane and into L.A. as soon as possible. He hated being   
interrupted in the middle of a job to handle some stupid clean-up job that   
Max's stupid employees made.  
  
He quickly grabbed his bags and hurried out of the airport. Max would have   
a ride waiting for him. Sure enough, there was a driver with a sign with his   
name on it - or rather the name he used for being picked up from airports -   
waiting for him.  
  
During the ride, Jed thought back to the Tomoe girl and her boyfriend. He   
had left them enough food for them to stay alive until he came back for   
them. The boy would be back in full health when he came back, so when he did   
go back, he'd have to use more persuasive measures to keep their   
cooperation. He still had to figure out what to do with them, since he   
couldn't drag them around with him, and they could still be used as   
potential hotages. So many problems to deal with and all of them had nothing   
to do with his fields of expertise. He was a professional thief and   
assassin, not a kidnapper. It was frustrating.  
  
One thing was for certain though. Whoever it was that took Max's Yellow   
Nijizuishou was gonna pay....  
  
And pay dearly.  
  
**********************************************  
  
To Chapter 17  
  
**********************************************  
  
Author's Note: Serena's starting to show a little more of her hidden side to   
Darien, while he's starting to understand a little more of how the blonde   
actress thinks and feels. Meanwhile, the movie part of the storyline is   
building up its momentum in preparation for the big scene where our heroes,   
Jack and Diane, will get sucked into an bigger plot. Next chapter: Jed finds   
his target and Jack finds his evidence and the man Diane is searching for,   
all at the same time; and an unexpected arrival shows up at the Crown,   
looking for Darien.  
  
Disclaimer: All original materials belong to their respective   
owners. Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi and a bunch   
of big companies. No copyright infringement is intended. This   
story belongs to Moonsong and myself, and I would appreciate   
you emailing her or myself for permission before posting it   
anywhere else. Thank you.  
  
Prologue Copyright © January 24, 2000 Moonsong.  
Other Chapters Copyright © August 12, 2000 Jason Ulloa.   
All Rights Reserved. 


	18. Chapter 17

Seeing Stars  
By Jason Ulloa  
Original story by Moonsong  
Continued with her permission.  
  
  
Chapter 17  
  
Andrew grinned as he walked into his upstairs office and set the card that   
Serena Moon had signed for him earlier that day down on his desk, then   
happily plopped into his chair.   
  
"Serena Moon...," he said out loud to himself in amazement. "Serena Moon was   
actually here today. And I personally served her!" He glanced down at the   
autographed card again and shook his head. "Now I'm not sure whether Darien   
owes me one, or I owe him one."  
  
"Andrew...?" a female voice called down to him from downstairs. "You up   
there, Andrew?"  
  
"I recognize that voice...," he murmured to himself as he got out of his seat   
and headed over toward the stairs. "Raye?"  
  
"Oh, good!" Raye sighed in relief once she saw Andrew at the top of the   
stairs. "Hey, you busy?"  
  
"Something wrong?" he asked as he descended to the bottom of the staircase.   
As he came down, he looked over what she was wearing: a long, red, one-piece,   
sleeveless dress and red high-heels. It was almost as if she was going out on   
a date....  
  
"You wouldn't happen to know where Darien is, would you?" she asked. "I   
called his apartment a couple of times, but no one answered. His cell's been   
shut off, too, so I can't get ahold of him that way. I really need to talk   
to him...."  
  
"Oh, Darien's probably still at work...," he began, but was suddenly cut off.  
  
"Work?" Raye asked. "I already tried his work number, but they said that he   
wasn't working there anymore."  
  
"He's working at a different movie studio now, Raye," he explained.  
  
"Don't tell me he got himself another production assistant job?" she asked   
with a tired sigh. "He's never gonna get anywhere if he keeps taking these   
small-time jobs."  
  
Andrew shook his head with a small frown. "Darien's got a role as a   
supporting actor in a new movie with Serena Moon."  
  
Raye's jaw dropped. "You're kidding. A supporting actor? WITH Serena Moon?   
How the hell did he land such a big role as THAT? Mina must've had to kill   
someone to get Dare something that big!"  
  
He chuckled slightly at that remark. "Well, I don't think that she went THAT   
far, Raye, but you've got to admit that she's really good." He paused for a   
moment as he considered the girl standing in front of him. Why did she   
suddenly want to see Darien so soon after dumping him? Was she going to try   
to get him to take her back, or was this something else? Nevertheless, Raye   
was a friend of his, too; after all, he was responsible for getting them   
together in the first place. Not one of his best successes, but you can't   
blame a man for trying.  
  
"Listen, Andrew, I've gotta go," Raye said as she turned to leave. "I'll just   
try Darien's cell again later, or I'll just catch him at home. Bye!"  
  
"Later, Raye," he replied as she left. He then walked back up the stairs   
and back into his office. He slowly lowered himself back into his chair as   
he stared straight ahead at the pictures lined up at one side of his desk.   
He had pictures of his parents, his younger sister, Elizabeth - or just Liz,   
as he affectionately called her - a family picture, and few pictures of him   
and his fiancée, Rita Foster. She was still attending college in England and   
was due to graduate in eight months. Their wedding was two months later.  
  
Slowly, his hand reached for the phone, but halted just before touching it.   
"I don't think this's something I should trouble her with," he said quietly   
to himself. "Besides, she'd just tell me that Darien's a big boy and that he   
can make his own decisions." He chuckled to himself as he picked up the phone   
and dialed a number.  
  
"Hello?" a familiar voice answered.  
  
"How's my girl doing?" he asked with a wide grin on his face.  
  
"Andrew?" Rita answered back happily. "Oh, it's so good to hear from you!"  
  
"Sorry for calling so late," he said in a slightly apologetic tone.  
  
"No, that's all right," Rita said sweetly. "I was awake anyway."  
  
"Studying?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
"Well...," Andrew continued as he glanced over at the autographed card that   
Serena had given to her, which was lying just under his favorite picture of   
Rita wearing a particularly stunning green dress and smiling provocatively.   
"Something happened today that made me think of you."  
  
He could hear Rita laugh softly over the phone. "Oh, really? What happened?"  
  
"It's a long story, Rita."  
  
"I can use a break from all this studying," she replied. "So, what happened?"  
  
Andrew grinned as he settled himself into his chair. "You remember Darien,   
right...?"  
  
**********************************************  
  
Diane walked through the entrance to the hotel she was staying at and headed   
straight for the main desk. She immediately spotted the hotel clerk she was   
looking for and signaled to him. He acknowledged her with a nod.   
  
"Did you hear anything?" she asked as she made her way to the desk.  
  
"I'm sorry, Miss Silver," the clerk replied. "Neither Mr. Terrance, nor Miss   
Jenner, have left any messages for you. However, I have a message for you from   
a Mr. D'Loire."  
  
Diane blinked in surprise. She wasn't expecting Artie to call her, but then   
again, she did give him the number she was staying at, should any   
breakthroughs in finding Hotaru and Ryoku come about. Maybe that's what his   
message was all about. "What's the message?"  
  
"He just said that he wanted you to call him as soon as you got in," the   
clerk replied. "He also said that you would know which number to call."  
  
"Thank you," she said, then headed for the nearest elevator. Once she got to   
her floor, she headed straight for her room, unlocked and opened the door,   
then plopped down on her bed and reached for the phone.  
  
"D'Loire here," Artemis answered as soon as he answered the phone.  
  
"It's me, Artie," Diane said quickly. "So, any news on your end of the   
Tomoe/Kino kidnapping case?"  
  
"Not a thing, Diane. Professor Tomoe still hasn't received any word regarding   
his daughter, nor has Ms. Kino heard anything concerning her son."  
  
"How's he holding up?" she asked concernedly.  
  
"Relatively well," he replied somberly. "The professor has invited Ms. Kino   
to stay with him and Miss Olinite at his place. That way, she will be able to   
hear any news about her son at the same time that the professor hears about   
his daughter."  
  
"That's good," she said with an approving nod. "That was a generous offer on   
Souichi's part." She paused as she sat up on her bed. "So, if you haven't made   
any progress on the kidnappings, then why'd you call me, asking for me to call   
back?"  
  
"I was just concerned," he replied. "You've been gone over a week without even   
calling in with a progress report."  
  
Diane groaned quietly. "You and your progress reports!" she muttered. "Come   
on, Artie. Haven't you forgotten that I'm not officially on this case?"  
  
"True, but that doesn't mean I'm not entitled to inquire about your informal   
progress on this... personal endevour of yours, Diane," he countered quickly.  
  
She grimaced as she shook her head in exasperation. "All right, then. Here's   
the long and short of it. I haven't found the guy, yet, but I have made a few   
connections out here. I've got an L.A.P.D. officer keeping her eye out for me,   
not to mention that I've also got a P.I. searching for me, as well."  
  
"A private investigator?" Artemis repeated dubiously.  
  
"Just another pair of eyes, Artie," she explained. "Neither one knows anything   
about the guy, nor do they know the real reason of why I'm tracking him down."  
  
"I suppose that I'm paying for the detective, as well?" he asked.  
  
"No, I am."  
  
"That's not really necessary, Diane...," Artemis began.  
  
"No, Artie," she interrupted, "it's not that. I just don't want to have to   
depend on your card, that's all. This is my case; I'll take the responsibility   
for the most of it."  
  
"I understand," he replied. "Just don't take this case too far, Diane.   
Remember, you're out there to bring this guy in and bring back Tomoe and Kino   
safely. No heroics."  
  
Diane chuckled softly. "Oh, come off it, Artie! You know I don't go in for that   
hero nonsense. I'm just doing my job."  
  
"You always say that," he sighed patiently. "Just promise me that you'll be   
discreet... for once."  
  
"Hey! I'm always discreet!" Diane shouted indignantly. "Anyway, Artie, I'll   
talk to you later, okay?"  
  
"You take care out there, Diane," he told her.  
  
"I will, Artie," she replied. "I promise." With that, she hung up the phone.   
She then got up and walked over to her room window and gazed out toward the   
city below. She had a good view from the 35th floor, especially at night.  
  
"I know you're out there," she said as she stared harshly at nothing in   
particular; her eyes narrowing into little slits. "I will find you.  
  
"Be prepared.... I'm coming for you."  
  
**********************************************  
  
Tira turned from the computer screen just in time to see Jack emerge from the   
back office. "Did you have a nice nap, Jack?" she asked with a small grin.  
  
"I did," he replied as he strode toward his desk. He opened a small drawer on   
the left side of the desk and brought out a small box.  
  
She frowned as soon as she saw the box. "You think something's gonna happen   
tonight?" she asked with concern.  
  
"It may," he replied with a tight nod. He expression seemed almost haunted, as   
if he was seeing something that he wished he didn't have to see.  
  
"You don't really need that, Jack," Tira said as she got up and walked over   
to him. "You said it yourself, this'll probably be another boring routine."   
She placed her hands on his, which were still resting reluctantly on the box.   
"You don't have to take the gun."  
  
"Remember what your father and I used to tell you about instinct?" he asked   
suddenly.  
  
"That half of it was yourself telling you what you already know is right, and   
that the other half was the spirits of those who care for you; protecting you   
from danger," she replied, her voice sad. "Daddy used to tell me that so I   
would think that Mom was still watching over me after she died."  
  
"Yeah," Jack said quietly. "That might be why I feel that I need this tonight.   
He might be trying to warn me." He smiled warmed up at Tira, then turned his   
gaze back toward the box. "Even now, he's still watching my back."  
  
He slowly opened the box. Inside, was a gun identical to the same standard,   
police-issued sidearm that he had worn when he was still a police officer. In   
fact, the gun used to belong to his partner until he was fatally wounded in   
the line of duty. When he became a licensed private investigator, Chief Garret   
himself had given him his late partner's sidearm. Jack used the gun very   
rarely; he hardly even took the gun out except to clean and maintain it.  
  
Tira sighed as she opened a drawer on the right of Jack's desk and brought out   
the gun's holster. "If you're going to take the gun, then you'd better take   
this, too. I don't think carrying it in the box is going to be very effective."  
  
Jack grinned as he took the holster from Tira. "Of course, Ti," he replied. It   
wasn't as if he didn't already know these things; it was just that Tira seemed   
to think that he sometimes needed to be reminded of the simplest things. He   
figured that since her father was gone, she considered him to be a sort of   
surrogate father, and as such, he needed to be fussed over as she would her   
own father.   
  
Lee had always complained about how Tira would occasionally fuss over him as   
if he couldn't even remember how to tie his own shoelaces after Tasha died.   
He had figured that it was because Tira thought that she had to take her   
mother's place and take care of her father as she did, even though she seemed   
to think that he needed more caring for than what was necessary. Then again,   
Tira was young, and she was trying to fill the shoes of a woman twice her age.  
  
"Well?" Tira asked as she stood with her arms on her hips. "Are you just gonna   
sit there, or are you gonna go find Erwight?"  
  
"Okay, Ti," Jack said as he stood up. "I'm going."  
  
"You be careful out there, Jack," she called out to him as he was about to   
leave. "And you had better come back safely."  
  
"I will, Ti," he told her seriously. "I promise."  
  
**********************************************  
  
The sound of a door opening behind her caught Juléi's attention. "Oh, you're   
back!" she said as she hopped up from her seat on the couch and turned toward   
the door. She stopped just a few feet away from him and spread her arms out to   
her sides. "So, what do you think, Nate? You like?"  
  
Nate took a good look at the woman in front of him. She was dressed in a very   
skimpy violet bikini, showing off her curvaceous body. "I see you went shopping   
again, Regina," he remarked with an approving smile.  
  
"No, I got this with the stuff I bought a few days ago," she replied. "I just   
haven't shown it to you, yet. I figured that since you've finally gotten our   
plane tickets, this would be a good opportunity to start showing off my... new   
summer wardrobe." She slowly moved closer toward him and sensuously wrapped   
her arms around him. "Well?" she asked with a low, alluring voice. "Did you get   
them?"  
  
"Right here," he replied, patting his shirt pocket. "Paid for in cash, so we   
don't have to worry about anyone finding out through credit reports."  
  
Regina nodded as she snuggled closer to him. "You think of everything, don't   
you? So, when do we leave?"  
  
"The day after tomorrow," he replied with a smile.  
  
"So," she began as she moved closer to him, their faces separated by only a few   
inches, "what shall we do till then?"  
  
"I think I can think of something," he murmured as he closed the distance   
between them in a passionate kiss.  
  
**********************************************  
  
Jed slowly strode down the street Juléi's apartment was on. This was the   
address that Max still had on his records. He had checked earlier that morning,   
and according to the records that the manager had, she was still living here.   
  
A quick glance toward the complex's parking lot showed him that her vehicle was   
parked in her space. Of course, that didn't prove that she was home, but at   
least it proved that she hadn't left her apartment yet. Eventually she would be   
leaving - anyone with a brain who had stolen a gem as rare and valuable as the   
Yellow Nijizuishou would never stay at home where they could easily be found -   
so, he had very little time to take care of what he came here to do.  
  
It had to be tonight. He would retrieve the crystal tonight.  
  
**********************************************  
  
It was slowly getting dark when Jack arrived at Juléi's apartment complex. He   
slowly pulled into the complex's guest parking space and turned off his vehicle   
and settled in for a long night of watching. If either Juléi or Erwight arrive   
or depart the place, he'd be ready to follow them. Sooner or later, they'd slip   
and he would have evidence to hand over to the police.  
  
He had already slipped the holster over his shoulders and was now wearing it,   
and his gun, underneath his black leather jacket.  
  
As soon as he settled himself into his stakeout mode, his cell phone suddenly   
went off. Fortunately, he had set it on vibrate, to keep from making any noise.   
However, the sudden vibration did startle him.  
  
"Terrance, here," he answered in a low voice.  
  
"Oh, sorry, Jack," Tira answered on the other end. "I didn't know you had   
already arrived at Juléi's place, yet."  
  
"What's up, Ti?" Jack asked in a hushed voice. "You never call when I'm going   
on a stakeout unless it's an emergency."  
  
"I know. I just found out something that I think you should know," she said   
urgently.  
  
Jack's expression turned serious. "What is it, Tira?"  
  
"I followed a hunch and hacked into Stanton Aeronautical again," she began.   
"There's something here that I think you should know.  
  
"I found out that a very rare and valuable gem was stolen from the safe of the   
company's president: the Yellow Nijizuishou crystal. It's one of a set of seven   
other Nijizuishou crystals, each one a different color of the rainbow."  
  
"Couldn't this have waited until after I got back?" Jack asked patiently.  
  
"There's more, Jack," Tira added. "The thing that really made me suspicious   
was the fact that Mr. Stanton, the owner, never called the police after he   
found out that his gem was stolen."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Exactly," Tira agreed. "Now, if it was my crystal, I'd have every cop within   
500 miles searching for it. The fact that he's remaining quiet about it makes   
me suspect, you know?"  
  
"I see what you mean, Ti," he said, frowning in thought.  
  
"What are you thinking, Jack?"  
  
"Two things: one bad; and one even worse," Jack replied. "On the one hand, if   
the crystal wasn't his to begin with, he could've gotten the crystal by   
purchasing it as a hot item."  
  
"It could've been stolen. Yeah, I see your point. I hate to ask, Jack, but   
what's worse?" she inquired warily.  
  
"He could've gotten it by hiring someone to steal it for him, or stealing it   
himself," Jack explained. "In this case, we'd be getting into something a   
little bit bigger than just your average embezzelment case."  
  
"I don't like this, Jack," Tira said apprehensively. "I think we'd better call   
Chief Garret and turn this over to the police. After all, you're not a cop   
anymore. This's way over our heads."  
  
Jack thought about this for a moment. "I guess you're right, Ti," he replied.   
"I'm coming back.... Hold on a sec."  
  
He carefully reached down for his binoculars as he spotted a male figure   
walking towards the apartment complex. The man was dressed in dark clothes, to   
make him harder to see in the darkness. There were a few lamp posts scattered   
here and there, but it provided minimal lighting; hardly enough to prevent   
someone from sneaking onto the complex undetected, which was exactly what he   
was doing at that moment. This was enough to set Jack's senses on full alert;   
especially since he was headed straight for Juléi's apartment.  
  
"Okay, now...," he murmured as he slowly continued to raise the binoculars to   
his eyes. "Let's see who's come to pay Miss Juléi a little visit...." Jack's   
eyes widened in surprise when he saw the man's face. "It's him!" he gasped in   
a quiet whisper. "That's the man Diane is searching for!"  
  
"What?!?" Tira shouted, almost startling Jack, since he forgot that she was   
still on the phone.  
  
"The same man that Diane Silver has been searching for is here, Ti," he   
reported. "What does he have to do with Juléi and Erwight...?"  
  
"Now, I REALLY don't like this, Jack," Tira said, her voice growing nervous.   
"Come back. Now. I have a very bad feeling about this...."  
  
"Ti, I have to know what is going on," he said firmly. "There are too many   
things going on and too many coincidences here for me to just turn my back on   
this. Besides... I think it may already be too late for me to turn back now."  
  
There was a long silence, followed by a long sigh. "I'm afraid to admit it, but   
you may be right, Jack," she relented, though her voice betrayed her worry and   
anxiety. "But, I'm not letting you go in alone. Keep the cell on; I've got the   
tape recorder running. Try to keep a running monologue, so I know what's going   
on. I wanna know everything, what you see and hear... in case...."  
  
"Got it," Jack said as he opened his car door and slipped outside, closing the   
door quietly behind him.  
  
"Just be careful, Jack," Tira warned. "If you get yourself hurt... I swear I'll   
kick your ass!"  
  
Jack chuckled softly at that. "Yeah, I love you, too, Ti. Now, I'm moving   
toward Juléi's apartment. That guy has already moved around to the other side.   
I assume he's gonna try to sneak his way into the back, where I saw some lights   
a little while ago."  
  
He paused as he ducked behind the building next to the one Juléi resided in.   
Her apartment was on the second floor of the two-story building. The building   
had two ways of getting to the entrance: the stairs in the front and the back   
both lead to the apartment's front door. Should one stairway become   
inaccessible, the other could be used to reach the ground floor.  
  
"I'm gonna try to get close enough so that I can see inside with my binoculars,   
Ti." He quietly slipped over to Juléi's apartment building while making sure   
that he remained in the shadows. "I'm close to Juléi's bedroom window now, but   
I'm at a bad angle. I need to find some cover... there. There are a row of   
hegdes that are trimmed chest-high nearby. I'm going to use those as cover   
while I try to see what's going on in Juléi's apartment."  
  
He quickly dashed over to the hedges, trying to remain exposed for as little as   
possible. "Okay," he said as soon as he was in place. "I'm there. Now, I'm   
going to take a little look and see whether or not our nameless friend has paid   
our other friends a visit yet... Oh! The light in Juléi's bedroom has just   
come on...."  
  
**********************************************  
  
Jed had been waiting for dark to set before leaving his car, parked not to far   
from that idiot secretary's apartment. She was home now; he had made sure of   
it. Now was the time to take care of business. The fact that she had company   
over now meant little to him; he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.   
Too bad for him....  
  
As he headed over to the apartment, he looked around to make sure no one was   
around to witness what he was about to do. No one here but empty cars; everyone   
had already gone inside for the night. So much the better.  
  
He knew exactly where to go and wasted no time in making his way there. He took   
the stairs two steps at a time, not even bothering to use the handrail. As he   
ascended, he took out a small bag from the right pocket of his dark slacks. As   
soon as he reached the top of the stairs, he slipped a small electrical device   
out of the bag and placed it on top of the keyhole of the woman's apartment   
door. From his shirt pocket, he took out an unshaped key and inserted it into   
the device. A few seconds and a soft whirr later, he pulled out a newly shaped   
key. After placing the device back into its bag, and the bag back into his   
pocket, he inserted the key into the keyhole and turned it, easily unlocking   
the door and allowing himself entry.  
  
It was your basic, one-room apartment. It had a TV, couch, table, chairs, and   
other assorted living items one would find in a single woman's apartment. Jed   
wasted no time in admiring the decor and headed straight for the bedroom. It   
was obvious which room that was, since the hallway leading from the bedroom had   
only two other doors, and the bathroom door had been left open. Jed went   
straight for the bedroom door and quietly opened it.  
  
There they were. The theiving secretary and her lover, asleep together in her   
bed. From their positions, they had more than likely engaged in some... bedroom   
activities earlier. Well, unfortunately for them, he had business with the   
woman and their rest would tragically have to be cut short. He closed the   
bedroom door behind him and, while staring at the slumbering pair, flipped on   
the light switch behind him.  
  
It wasn't an instantaneous effect, but slowly the woman returned to   
consciousness. She rolled onto her back and started to sit up, oblivious to the   
fact that the bedcover had slipped down from her shoulders, leaving her breasts   
exposed. Normally, Jed would've found time to admire the sight before him, but   
he tried not to mix business and pleasure... though, right now, he was sorely   
tempted.  
  
"Good evening, Miss Juléi," Jed said as he reached behind his back and drew a   
gun, complete with silencer, then walked forward and touched the end of the   
barrel right on her chest directly between her breasts.  
  
"This is your wake-up call," he said with a cold, deadly grin.  
  
**********************************************  
  
To Chapter 18  
  
**********************************************  
  
Author's Note: How's THAT for suspense? You wanted me to pick up the pace?   
Well, hold on tight, because we ain't through yet! Stay tuned for the next   
part of this cliffhanger. You won't be disappointed, I promise! Next chapter:   
Juléi's flight plans are cancelled; Darien comes home to find Raye waiting   
for him; Serena and Tanya discuss the 'date'; Jed's progress report; and   
Diane's confession.  
  
Disclaimer: All original materials belong to their respective   
owners. Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi and a bunch   
of big companies. No copyright infringement is intended. This   
story belongs to Moonsong and myself, and I would appreciate   
you emailing her or myself for permission before posting it   
anywhere else. Thank you.  
  
Prologue Copyright © January 24, 2000 Moonsong.  
Other Chapters Copyright © August 12, 2000 Jason Ulloa.   
All Rights Reserved. 


	19. Chapter 18

Seeing Stars  
By Jason Ulloa  
Original story by Moonsong  
Continued with her permission.  
  
  
Chapter 18  
  
"Mr. J?" Juléi squeaked in fright as she started to reach for the blanket in   
order to cover herself.  
  
"Don't move," Jed ordered coldly as he pushed the barrel of his gun into her   
chest. "I need some answers from you and I don't want you to try anything. As   
far as I'm concerned, I'd love to have just one reason to shoot you right now."   
He leaned closer so that he was staring directly into her eyes, and scowled   
fiercely. "And DON'T call me, Mr. J!" he growled with calm, controlled anger.  
  
"Y... yes, sir," she stammered just as Erwight started to wake up.  
  
"Hey, who're you talking to...," he mumbled groggily as he started to sit up.   
As soon as his gaze fell onto the gun pointed between Juléi's breasts, he   
snapped to full alertness. "Holy.... Who the hell are you?!?" he shouted as his   
eyes widened in apprehension. "What do you want?"  
  
"Please don't interrupt," Jed ordered flatly. "I have no qualms with killing   
you as well, so I suggest you just sit quietly unless you have something useful   
to tell me.  
  
"Now," he said as he turned back to Juléi, "I will ask you a question. I want   
you to answer it correctly and promptly. If you lie to me, or waste my   
time...." He removed the gun from her chest, pointed it at her head, and fired.  
  
Juléi was about to scream in fright, until Jed pushed the gun barrel into her   
open mouth. "Now, you weren't about to scream, were you?" he asked with a dark   
grin on his face. As soon as he was sure she was going to stay quiet, he   
removed the gun from her mouth and placed it back on her chest. "Next time, I   
will be aiming at your head, instead of your wall. Understand?"  
  
"Yes, sir...," she squeaked fearfully.  
  
Jed glanced over at Erwight and smirked. "The same goes for you, too. One noise   
and you'll be the second person I silence. Understand?"  
  
"Yeah, all right," he grumbled angrily.  
  
"Good. Now that we have an understanding, I want you to stay put and don't   
move. Juléi, I will ask you once and only once; where is the Yellow Nijizuishou   
crystal? Dissembling and lying will only make me upset... and you dead; not to   
mention him."  
  
"All right," she said with a sigh. "I'll tell you where it is."  
  
"No," Jed said flatly. "You'll show me where it is. Now."  
  
"But...."  
  
"Now," he ordered as he took a step back. "By the way...," he added, then   
pointed the gun at the phone sitting on a table and fired, "...stay put, and   
don't try anything that I wouldn't approve of. Both your lives are counting on   
your behavior, so I wouldn't push it." Jed lowered the gun, then glared at   
Juléi. "Well?" he asked impatiently.  
  
Juléi was hesitant to get up since she was completely nude underneath the   
blanket. "Can't I get dressed first...?"  
  
Jed coldly raised the gun and pointed it at her head. "Now."  
  
Erwight glared at Jed. "Look, I know where the crystal is, so how 'bout you   
let me get it?"  
  
"Really, now...," he said with a contemptuous smirk as he glanced at him. "Why   
not? Since you seem to be so eager to cooperate, then you can lead the way.   
However, if either of you makes a move that I don't like, you get to be the   
first one I... take care of."  
  
"Whatever, you son of a...."  
  
"Let's get one thing straight, my friend," Jed cut in as he shoved his gun up   
Erwight's nose. "You're not exactly in a very good position, here. Now, if I   
were you, I'd shut up unless you were offering something constructive, like   
giving me the exact location of the Nijizuishou. Otherwise, I might just lose   
my temper and do something drastic. Now, get up," he ordered as he removed the   
gun from Erwight's face. "Both of you."  
  
Both Erwight and Juléi got up from the bed while keeping themselves covered   
with the blanket. Juléi was relieved to finally be able to cover herself, while   
Erwight gave Jed a hard stare. Jed just sighed lightly and shook his head while   
trying to keep his patience and his professional demeanor.  
  
"All right," Jed said before they could stall any longer, "show me where you   
hid the crystal."  
  
"Just follow us," Erwight said coldly as he and Juléi headed out the room.  
  
"You're not going to kill us when you get the crystal back, are you?" Juléi   
asked timidly.  
  
"Depends," Jed replied cryptically.  
  
"Depends on what?"  
  
"On how long the search takes," he told them offhandedly as he started to   
follow them into the living room.  
  
"We hid it in the kitchen, in a place you'd never think to look," Erwight said   
as he and Juléi moved toward the kitchen.  
  
"Oh?" Jed asked, grinning slightly at the implied challenge. "You think I   
couldn't find your special hiding place?"  
  
"I seriously doubt it," he replied stiffly.  
  
"Nate, I don't think you should be taunting him...," Juléi warned.  
  
"No, I find this little challenge of his... amusing," Jed told her. "Not many   
guys would have the guts to taunt a man with a gun in his hand." He turned   
toward Erwight and grinned wolfishly. "You think I can't find it without your   
aid?"  
  
"Never," he answered back.  
  
"You seem like a gambling man... Nate. Care to wager your life on it?"  
  
Erwight's eyes popped open. "What?"  
  
"If you're so sure I can't find it, then you won't mind risking your life on   
it, right?" Jed said with a huge, confident grin. "You win, you and Juléi go   
free and you keep the Nijizuishou. You lose..., well..., you lose."  
  
"This is insane!" Juléi shouted. "Are you just going to toy with us?!? I'll   
give you the damn crystal if you'd just please leave us alone!!!"  
  
"Calm down," Jed ordered as he pointed the gun at Juléi. "Don't interrupt." He   
looked back to Erwight and grinned again. "So? What say you? Feeling lucky?"  
  
"Just try and find it. I dare you."  
  
This time, Jed laughed. "I'm beginning to like you, Nate. All right, then, I'll   
take you up on that dare."  
  
As Jed started to rummage through the kitchen, Juléi turned to Erwight and   
glared at him. "What the hell are you doing, Nate??? You're gonna get us   
killed!"  
  
"Not if I kill him, first," he replied quietly as he nodded toward the set of   
kitchen knives that was sitting not far away from his reach. He quietly slipped   
one out of its sheathe and snuck it underneath the blanket, then nodded   
confidently.  
  
In reply, Juléi hugged against his side and smiled sensuously at him. "You pull   
this off, baby, and I promise that I'll thank you for the rest of the night."  
  
Before Nate could reply, he heard the distinct sound of the refrigerator door   
opening. Instantly, his attention snapped toward Jed.  
  
"Of course," Jed said with a small laugh.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Erwight demanded as he slowly moved closer to   
him. If he couldn't stab him, he could always throw the knife....  
  
"Let me guess," Jed said as he pulled out a plastic jug. "Orange juice?"  
  
"Lemonade," Juléi replied, trying fiercely to keep her nervousness from being   
heard in her voice.  
  
"Lemonade," he repeated with a wide smirk. "Right." As Jed shook the jug, a   
small clinking sound could be heard rattling inside it.  
  
"We left it in the freezer to cool down quickly," she explained. "It froze   
inside the jug. You're just hearing the frozen lemonade hitting against the   
side."  
  
"You know," Jed began as he grabbed a glass from her dish rack, "I'm getting a   
little thirsty from this searching. Either of you want some as well?" When   
neither one answered back, he began to pour. He got only so much out before a   
huge chunk of frozen lemonade came out, knocking the glass into the sink.  
  
"See?" Erwight said, pointing at the sink with his empty hand. "Just frozen   
lemonade."  
  
"Well, let's just thaw the rest of it out," he replied as he turned on the   
faucet. As the water warmed up, the rest of the lemonade started to melt and   
wash away until only a chunk of yellow colored crystal remained. "And here it   
is!" he exclaimed as he plucked the wet Nijizuishou from the sink. "Looks like   
I win."  
  
Erwight quickly lunged at Jed with the knife in his hand, but failed to reach   
him as he effortlessly kicked the knife away from him, then followed with a   
second kick to his head. Erwight spun in a full circle before hitting the floor   
facefirst.  
  
"Nate!!!" Juléi dropped the blanket and rushed to his side.  
  
Jed went into the bedroom and turned off the lights, then walked back to the   
kitchen, turning off the lights as he went. "Oh, yeah," he said when he reached   
the kitchen doorway, as if just remembering something. Erwight had just stood   
up again with Juléi's help, and now they were both staring at Jed in fear for   
their lives.  
  
He quietly raised his gun and fired two shots, then turned around and walked   
toward the front door to Juléi's apartment. As he opened the door, two loud   
thuds sounded from the kitchen.  
  
"You lose," he said smugly as he shut off the light and locked the door behind   
him.  
  
**********************************************  
  
"Now there's no more light coming from Juléi's apartment," Jack reported into   
his cell phone. "I think the guy's got what he came for and took care of both   
Juléi and Erwight."  
  
"Jack... what have we gotten ourselves into?" Tira asked nervously. "This was   
supposed to be just another cheating husband case, like all the others."  
  
"I know, Ti," Jack replied. "First, cheating; then, embezzlement; now, possible   
robbery and murder. Adding the fact that this mysterious woman is searching for   
the murderer and she won't tell us why...."  
  
"What're we gonna do, Jack?" she asked quietly.  
  
"Did you already call the police, Ti?" he asked.  
  
"As soon as you said that the lights were on in Juléi's apartment," she told   
him.  
  
"Good," he said as he started to slip away from his hiding spot. "I'm coming   
back. We have to bring all of our evidence to the police. Not only that, but we   
need to contact Diane. She has to know about this."  
  
"I think that Miss Silver needs to answer a few questions herself," she said   
sternly. "Like, why she's searching for a murderer."  
  
"All in good time, Ti," he told her. "I'm at my car right now, so I'm gonna   
hung up. I'll see you when I get there."  
  
"Jack, please don't hang up," she entreated. "I'm scared. I wanna make sure   
that you're all right. Don't hang up until you get here, okay?"  
  
He sighed as he opened the car door. "The things I do for you, Ti.... All   
right, but you're paying for this particular phone call outta your pay."  
  
"What?" she exclaimed. "Aw, come on, Jack! That's not fair! You needed to keep   
the line on for the tape recording!"  
  
"I was only kidding, Ti."  
  
"...oh," she replied sheepishly. "This's no time for joking, Jack! Your life   
could be in danger!"  
  
"Right, right...," he sighed as he started his car and pulled out into the   
street. "I still think you're overreacting... just a bit."  
  
As Jack drove off, a figure slowly lowered a collapsable viewing lens.   
"License plate number: 7YQJ069," he said in a cold, menacing tone. "You have   
just made a big mistake, my friend. You know too much, and that problem will   
have to be rectified."  
  
**********************************************  
  
"And, cut!" Amy shouted. "Wonderful, people! Let's wrap it up for today!"  
  
"Not bad," Jason said as he walked up behind Amy and hugged her around the   
waist.  
  
"Jason!" she gasped and giggled at the same time. "What are you doing?"  
  
"Just making sure that everyone knows the truth between you and me," he said   
as he kissed the back of her neck.  
  
"Now, quit it!" she said as she broke free from his embrace and batted at him   
playfully. "There's time for that later."  
  
"Later, huh?" he asked with a sly grin.  
  
"What're you plotting, Mr. Evans?" she asked with a mock suspicious expression   
on her face.  
  
"Oh... nothing," he said with an innocent look on his face.  
  
"Really?" she asked wryly. "How come I don't believe you?"  
  
"Because," he said as he picked her up and heaved her over his shoulder in a   
fireman's carry position, "you're right. Now, let's go."  
  
"Jason!!!" she squealed as she lightly pounded his back, while being carried   
out of the studio.  
  
"What's gotten into your brother, Lita?" G.Q. asked as he and Lita witnessed   
the brief spectacle between the two lovers.  
  
"Beats me," Lita replied with a small shrug. "The guy's probably just trying to   
be a little romantic or something. He hasn't had a whole lot of practice,   
though, so I guess he's just experimenting."  
  
"Experimenting?" G.Q. asked with a raised eyebrow.  
  
Lita grinned mischeviously in response. "That little stunt he pulled was from a   
scene in one movie that we worked on a few years ago," she explained. "In my   
opinion, I think he pulled it off just as good as that actor did."  
  
"I see," he said uncertainly. "That explains his sudden... change in behavior."   
He shook his head and shrugged to himself. "Well, at any rate, I'm going home.   
I've got a few more ideas I'm thinking of plugging into the new script   
revision. I'm going for a possible final revision, so I'll just see what I come   
up with tomorrow."  
  
"Well, whatever it is, I'm sure it'll be great," she replied as she jovially   
slapped him in the back. "After all, you're the genius writer, right? Later,   
G.Q."  
  
"See you later, Lita."  
  
**********************************************  
  
"That was pretty good work you were doing back there, Darien," Tanya said   
approvingly. "I must admit that you're learning very quickly; faster than I   
thought you would. I think even Serena has to admit that your acting skills are   
improving rapidly." She paused and glanced pointedly at the blonde actress, who   
had just started to walk past them in order to leave the studio.  
  
"Huh?" she said as she turned back. "Oh. Yeah, good work, Shields," she said as   
she turned and started to leave.  
  
Tanya blinked in surprise. She was expecting just an offhanded agreement, but   
she had actually PRAISED him! It was slight, but still, it was praise   
nonetheless.  
  
"Well, Darien, I guess we'll see you tomorrow, then?" she said as she started   
after Serena.  
  
"All right," Darien called back. "Bye, Tanya! Bye, Serena!"  
  
"Bye, Darien!" Tanya called back.  
  
"Bye, Shields," Serena said over her shoulder as she exited the studio with   
Tanya right on her heels.  
  
Darien grinned to himself, since he had also noted the slight praise that   
Serena had given him. She had told him once before that compliments from her   
weren't given very often, so he took this praise as an indication of her   
warming up to him. Things were definitely starting to work out between himself   
and Serena.  
  
Pleased with the work he had done today and with Serena's rare compliment, he   
left the studio, got into his car, and started for home.  
  
**********************************************  
  
Darien walked up the stairs of his apartment complex and headed for his   
apartment. He was so happy that he felt like having a small solo celebration:   
pizza and a movie or two! Maybe ones starring Serena or Tanya. That would seem   
apropos for this celebration of his. He smiled to himself as he took his keys   
out of his pocket and reached for the doorknob.  
  
"Darien?" a familiar voice called out to him from behind.  
  
"Raye?" Darien said as he turned around. There she was, standing at the   
stairway, as if she had just climbed up the stairs to his level. "What're you   
doing here?"  
  
Raye frowned slightly. "No, 'It's so good to see you again, Raye?'" she asked   
as she walked toward him. "Just, 'What're you doing here?'"  
  
It was Darien's turn to frown. "I'm sorry, Raye," he apologized. "It's just   
that I'm surprised to find you here. After all, you dumped me, remember?"  
  
"I know," she said contritely. "But, that was a long time ago."  
  
"That was a few weeks ago," he corrected flatly.  
  
"Whatever," she said dismissively. "Anyway, I just wanted to come back and tell   
you that I thought about the reasons why I dumped you and I've realized that   
I've made a mistake." She paused for a moment, then hesitantly reached out to   
him. When she saw that he wasn't going to move away, she placed her hand on his   
arm and smiled up at him. "I want another chance, Darien."  
  
"Why?" he asked cautiously. "What's different about me now that's making you   
want to come back to me? What happened between you and that other guy you left   
me for? How do I know that you aren't gonna leave me again?"  
  
Raye flinched at each point that he brought up, but she didn't take back her   
hand from his arm. "Well...," she began penitently, "as for the guy I left you   
for, it turned out that he was just trying to get me to sleep with him. He   
wasn't as sincere as I thought he was. One of his old girlfriends warned me   
about him, so I confronted him with that fact and found out the truth.  
  
"As for how you know that I won't leave you," she continued, "I know that you   
were always honest to me. I'm sorry that I took that for granted; I didn't know   
how lucky I was to have an honest man as my boyfriend." She then moved closer   
and smiled pleadingly up at him. "Please, Darien? Accept my apology and take   
me back?"  
  
Darien's frown faded slightly as he looked down at her. "I don't know, Raye,"   
he began quietly. "You still haven't answered my first question."  
  
Raye frowned in perplexity. "Yes, I have," she replied. "I told you that I'm   
sorry for taking your honesty for granted and...."  
  
"That's not what I meant, Raye," Darien interrupted. "I asked you what was so   
different about me that you wanted to come back to me. From what I remember   
when we were together, you were a little overly concerned about my current   
career. It was sometimes to the point where you'd all but demand that I go out   
and try to find a better paying job."  
  
"I was concerned, Darien," she told him. "I want to see you suceed. That's all   
I ever wanted."  
  
"I'm not all that sure about that," he countered. "It sounded to me that you   
just wanted me to suceed so that I'd make more money and be able to provide you   
with more things. I remember when you first started complaining that I never   
brought you gifts like I used to when we first started dating."  
  
"But, that was a long time ago, Darien!" she insisted. "I'm different now!"  
  
"So, you don't mind that I'm still a production assistant?" Darien asked.  
  
Raye blinked and frowned in confusion. "Wait a minute," she said as she   
released his arm and stepped back away from him. "Andrew said that you had a   
role in a new movie starring Serena Moon."  
  
"So, you did know...," he said with a frown.  
  
Her eyes widened as she realized her slip. "Yeah, I did," she admitted.  
  
"So, you were only coming back to me because you got your wish and I now have a   
higher paying career?"  
  
"Oh, no, Darien," she insisted as she tried to make up for her slip. "I was   
just upset because I thought that I was being lied to."  
  
"By me?" he asked as he raised his eyebrow. "Or, by Andrew?" He shook his head   
as he turned toward his apartment door and opened it. "Never mind. I don't   
really want to know. I don't have any hard feelings toward you, Raye, but I'd   
rather that we just stay friends. After all, I'm currently seeing someone else   
now."  
  
Raye's eyes widened in shock. "You're... what?!?" she yelled. "You were seeing   
someone all this time, and you let me believe that I actually had a chance   
to.... Why?!?"  
  
Darien paused in the middle of his doorway and turned back to her. "Maybe it   
was I wanted to know whether or not you were truly sincere about wanting to get   
back together. I think I now know the answer. I'm truly sorry if I hurt you,   
Raye. Please forgive me for that. Good night, Raye." With that, he went into   
his apartment and closed the door behind him.  
  
Raye stared at his door for a few more seconds, then angrily whirled around and   
stormed off. "Just wait till I find out who's keeping me from Darien," she   
growled to herself. "I just know that if he wasn't seeing someone he would've   
been mine again! I swear, whoever's at fault will pay for my humiliation!"  
  
**********************************************  
  
"So, tell me," Tanya prompted as one of Serena's butlers deposted a tray of   
food by the couch that the two women were lounging on and promptly departed.   
"How'd your date with Darien go?"  
  
"It was NOT a date," Serena retorted as she took a piece of cheese. "It was   
just a short lunch." She turned away and reached over the side of the couch for   
the remote control to the large screen TV and turned it on.  
  
"A lunch date," Tanya added as she pointed at her with a slice of apple for   
emphasis. "Hey, turn it to channel 7. My favorite show comes on in a few   
minutes."  
  
"It's a rerun, Tanya," Serena told her.  
  
"So?" she asked as she gave her stern look. "It's still my favorite show! Can't   
I see it? Look, just gimme the remote...."  
  
"Hell, no!" Serena replied as she hid it behind her back after changing the   
channel.  
  
"Girl, don't make me get violent on you," Tanya warned.  
  
"Hah!" Serena challenged. "Just try and take it. I dare you."  
  
"All right, then," Tanya said as she lunged at Serena and tried to wrestle the   
remote away. "Ha! Got it!" she said as she got off of her and went to sit back   
at her end. "Nobody keeps Tanya Cambridge from her favorite TV show!"  
  
"I let you win," Serena said with a laugh.  
  
"Yeah, right," Tanya laughed as well. "I beat you every single time since high   
school."  
  
"I let you win, then, too," Serena shot back. "I could've won if I wanted to."  
  
"No way," Tanya replied as she switched the station to channel 7. "Damn! We've   
already missed part of the beginning!"  
  
"It's a rerun, Tanya," Serena pointed out. "You already know what happens."  
  
"Yeah, but that guy in the first scene is so cute!" she sighed. "Speaking of   
cute... what exactly went on with Darien during your... lunch? And no trying   
to get off the subject. I've got the remote, so I am Queen! Answer my question!"  
  
Serena couldn't help but give a small laugh at the old inside joke from high   
school. One of the theater props that they used to joke about was the 'royal   
scepter' with was made using a painted wooden pole and an old TV remote control   
that was painted to simulate a bejeweled knob. When Tanya first held that   
staff, she said to the rest of the theater group, 'I have the remote, so I am   
Queen!', which soon became a running joke with the group for the rest of the   
school year.  
  
"All right, Your Majesty," Serena relented. "There's not really a lot to say.   
Shields offered to take me to lunch today. I was sorta surprised, since the   
last time we had lunch together, the bill cost him almost fifty dollars, which   
was probably more than he was used to spending for lunch. Anyway, since he was   
so sincere in his kind gesture that I offered to let him pick the place where   
he wanted to eat."  
  
"Really, Serena?" Tanya asked as she grinned slightly. She couldn't help but be   
pleased at how well her matchmaking scheme was starting out. "Go on."  
  
"Well," she continued, "he took me to a pizza parlor. Can you believe it? Me   
going to a pizza parlor of all places?"  
  
"I thought you loved pizza," Tanya said as she looked askance at her.  
  
"Yeah, but I always order delivery," she explained. "Pizza should come to me,   
not the other way around.  
  
"Anyway, when I told Shields that I didn't want to go in there - because of all   
the unwanted attention that I would start getting - he went to go set up   
something with a friend of his, who happens to own a little college hangout   
place called 'The Crown' and set up a booth for us so I could actually have   
some peace and quiet."  
  
"Ooh!" Tanya said suddenly. "I've heard of that place! It's really popular   
among the local college kids and even the faculty. So, Darien's friend owns the   
place and he pulled some strings to get you some peace and quiet?"  
  
"Just about," Serena agreed.  
  
"Wow," she said in surprise. "He sure went out of his way for you. Doesn't that   
kinda make you feel a little special?"  
  
Serena paused in thought as she reached for another piece of cheese from the   
almost forgotten tray of food sitting on the table nearby. "Yeah, I guess   
so...."  
  
"You know, I'm jealous of you, Serena," she told her.  
  
"What do you mean?" Serena asked.  
  
"I wish I had a guy who'd be willing to do for me what Darien is willing to do   
for you," she told her. "You know what I think? I think he likes you."  
  
"What?!?" Serena shouted. "No way!"  
  
"Just think about it, girl," she said as she elbowed her lightly for emphasis.   
"How many guys would be willing to do all that for you, even after everything   
you put him through? Not many. Also, why do you think that Darien's willing to   
put up with it? Just to pay you back for your dress? I seriously doubt it. Face   
it, Darien likes you."  
  
Serena seriously thought about what Tanya had told her. She had a point; with   
all the abuse she had shoved down his throat, there was no reason for him to   
treat her as he had, except for the fact that he must like her. He did tell her   
that the reason behind his kindness was because he cared, but she had written   
it off as a kind of charity of his. Now, those words were taking on a different   
meaning. Could he have meant that he cared... about her?  
  
"You all right, Serena?" Tanya asked.  
  
"Yeah," she replied quietly. "I was just thinking."  
  
"About Darien?"  
  
"Uh-huh. And about other things."  
  
"What other things?"  
  
"I'm... not too sure, Tanya," she told her. "I'll still need to think about it."  
  
"Well, if you ever need to talk about it some more, I'm still here," Tanya told   
her. "And you always know how to get ahold of me."  
  
"Thanks, Tanya," Serena said gratefully.  
  
Tanya got up, went over to her, and hugged her. "I'm always here if you need   
me. That's what friends are for. Don't worry; I'm sure you'll figure all this   
out in time."  
  
**********************************************  
  
To Chapter 19  
  
**********************************************  
  
Author's Note: Well, now the plot thickens on both ends. Ah, but where is the   
heroine of our movie? I know I haven't been giving her much of the spotlight   
lately, but I've been trying to build up the suspense for the moment when she   
does show up. Anyway, get ready for more as the story continues! Next chapter:   
Jed's progress report; Diane's confession; an attempt on Jack's life; and   
Serena comes to a decision about Darien.  
  
Disclaimer: All original materials belong to their respective   
owners. Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi and a bunch   
of big companies. No copyright infringement is intended. This   
story belongs to Moonsong and myself, and I would appreciate   
you emailing her or myself for permission before posting it   
anywhere else. Thank you.  
  
Prologue Copyright © January 24, 2000 Moonsong.  
Other Chapters Copyright © August 12, 2000 Jason Ulloa.   
All Rights Reserved. 


	20. Chapter 19

Seeing Stars  
By Jason Ulloa  
Original story by Moonsong  
Continued with her permission.  
  
  
Chapter 19  
  
"Sir?"  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Phone for you, sir. From a Mr. Jed."  
  
"Thanks," Max said as he stood up and strode toward his butler as he reached   
out for the phone. "I'll put it away myself. You can go ahead and knock off   
for the rest of the night if you want."  
  
"Thank you, sir," he replied gratefully as he turned and left, leaving Max   
alone in his study with the cordless phone.  
  
Max walked back to his chair and sat back, resting his feet back on the   
footrest as he sat back down. "Talk to me."  
  
"It's been recovered, like you wanted, Max," Jed answered on the other end.   
"However, some slight complications have shown up."  
  
"Complications, Jed?" he asked, sitting up a little more straight in his   
chair. "What do you mean, complications? I don't think I like the sound of   
that."  
  
"You shouldn't, and with good reason. I think someone witnessed my retrieval   
of the Yellow Nijizuishou. I got a license number, so I'm gonna try to take   
care of this one loose end before this gets even more out of hand."  
  
"Wait, Jed," Max interrupted. "Even more out of hand? I remember you saying   
something about unforseen circumstances keeping you in Washington.... What   
exactly happened over there?"  
  
"Well, as I was acquiring the Orange Nijizuishou from Tomoe, his daughter and   
her boyfriend came home earlier than expected. As I was about to make my way   
out with the crystal, they discovered me. To make a long story short, I fought   
the boy and won, and as I was about to kill him and the girl, I realized that   
I had spent too much time fighting the boy and the only way that I could get   
out without leaving any evidence other than some poor surveillance camera   
shots was to take them with me."  
  
"You... kidnapped the Tomoe girl and her boyfriend?!?"  
  
"No choice," he replied. "Killing them would leave too much evidence. Think   
of them as collateral."  
  
There was a long period of silence on Max's end of the line. "Where are they   
now?"  
  
"Still in D.C.," Jed replied. "I sealed them in an old apartment with bullet-  
proof glass windows and metal doors that are welded shut. I left enough food   
to last them for a week and a half. I plan on going back for them as soon as I   
finish with some business here."  
  
"Don't bother," Max told him. "That collateral idea is a good one. I think   
I'll call a couple more of my people in on this. Just give me the address in   
Washington and they'll take it from there."  
  
"All right, then. But, make sure you warn your guys about the boyfriend. He's   
a pretty good fighter; he almost had me a couple times when we fought at the   
Tomoe mansion."  
  
"I'll warn them, but don't worry; they'll take care of everything. You just   
concern yourself with the rest of the crystals."  
  
"I'll do that, Max," Jed agreed. "I'll head for Vancouver when I finish my   
business here."  
  
"Just don't get too careless," Max warned. "You were probably too confident   
back there. That's why you got caught."  
  
"Yeah, yeah...," Jed said dismissively. "Chalk it up to a learning experience.   
Anyway, here's the address you'll need in Washington...."  
  
**********************************************  
  
"I'm back, Ti," Jack called out as he walked into his office. He had already   
hung up his cell phone when he was in sight of the building. "See? I told you   
that nothing was gonna happen to me on the way back."  
  
"Okay, so you were right," she admitted. "Still, better safe than sorry,   
right?"  
  
"Maybe," he replied. "Anyway, I'm going to have to have a talk with Diane   
tomorrow. Ti, would you do me a favor and see if you can get ahold of either   
Chief Garret or Christy for me?"  
  
"All right, Jack," she agreed. "You might wanna get something to drink,   
though. You seem a little tense."  
  
"I was just going to do that," he said as he went into the back office. He had   
a small refrigerator there, but he never kept much in it as he preferred to   
either eat at home or have take out. There wasn't much in line of culinary   
tools available in the office, so he had an excuse. Still, Tira often   
threatened that she would bring in some things and start making him dinner   
there if all he was gonna do was order take out. As he reached into the   
refrigerator, grabbed a carton of orange juice and a bottle of vodka, he   
grinned at the thought. After all, he wouldn't put it past her to actually   
carry out her threat.  
  
"Jack!" she called out from the front office. "I got Christy on the line."  
  
"I'll take it in here!" he replied as he grabbed the phone sitting by the   
refrigerator and held the receiver to his ear by his shoulder as he began to   
mix his drink. "Christy?"  
  
"Jack, I heard some of what happened from Tira, but I need you to tell me   
exactly what you saw," Christy told him as soon as he answered the phone.  
  
"I'll tell you what I saw, but unfortunately there's not much," he began. "At   
first, I was there to do my usual surveillance routine - you know, just   
watching the place to see if they go anywhere - but, then I noticed this guy   
marching straight for Juléi's apartment. I was curious as to who this was so   
I took a closer look. Remember Diane Silver?"  
  
"Huh?" she said in bewilderment. "Yeah, I remember her. What does she have to   
do with this?"  
  
"Remember that guy you had Sandoval draw a picture of for her?"  
  
"Yeah...."  
  
"The man I saw going to Juléi's apartment was the same guy," he explained.  
  
"You're joking...," she said in surprise.  
  
"Not in the least," he replied as he took a drink. "Anyway, I watched this guy   
go up to the actual apartment, but I didn't see him go in, since I would be   
risking discovery if I did. The only other things I saw before I had Tira call   
you guys was a light turning on in Juléi's apartment for a few moments. Did   
you have someone check out the apartment?"  
  
"Yeah," she told him. "Just as you suspected, there was murder done."  
  
"Tell me," Jack requested.  
  
"The victims were positively identified as Regina Juléi and Nathaniel   
Erwight," Christy began. "They were both found lying in the kitchen, naked   
except for a blanket wrapped around both of them and a kitchen knife lying a   
few feet away. They were both shot once in the chest, through the heart. It   
was a clean shot, meaning that the suspect not only wanted them to die   
quickly, but it also meant that he has great aim as well, since both hits were   
in the exact same position: the direct center of the heart.  
  
"Also," she continued, "we believe that this was a hit job. After all, there   
wasn't anything taken from the apartment. All in all, here's what we think may   
have happened.  
  
"First, the suspect broke into the apartment and surprised the victims.   
Afterward, the victims tried to bargain with the suspect. They made their way   
into the kitchen where either Juléi or Erwight took up the knife we found   
lying on the ground; we believe it was Erwight. When the suspect was assaulted   
by either or both of the victims, the suspect evaded the attack and sh n't want her to get   
involved in something like this."  
  
"My thoughts exactly, Christy," he said soberly as he frowned. "I'm going to   
see her tomorrow to tell her about what I've found. I'll be sure to try to get   
her to leave this guy to you and your people."  
  
"Thanks, Jack," she said gratefully. "I appreicate it. I kinda liked her, you   
know?"  
  
"Yeah," he replied quietly as he took another drink. "I know exactly what you   
mean.... Bye, Christy."  
  
"Bye, Jack," she replied as he hung up the phone and finished his drink.  
  
"Somehow...," he murmured tiredly to himself as he looked down at the phone   
he had just put down, "...I just know that she'll still go after the guy, even   
after I tell her everything. In fact, I'm willing to bet that she'll even   
chase that guy even harder."  
  
He sighed as he reached for the vodka bottle and poured himself another drink,   
this time without the orange juice. "How did I ever get myself caught up in a   
mess like this...?"  
  
**********************************************  
  
The next day, Diane returned to the hotel she was staying at, only to find   
Jack waiting for her in the lobby. "Hey there, Jack!" she called out as she   
headed over to where he was standing. "Any good news? Have you found him, yet?"  
  
"Yes... and no," he said slowly as he turned to face her.  
  
Diane blinked in confusion as she looked warily at him. "What do you mean, yes   
and no?"  
  
He folded his arms and frowned. "There's something more to this guy than   
you're telling me, Diane, and I need to know what," he told her.  
  
"I'm not sure what you're talking about...," she lied cautiously.  
  
Jack frowned deeper, but didn't press her on the matter. "I saw your... friend   
last night," he told her.  
  
"Where?" she asked insistantly.  
  
"At the scene of a double homicide," he told her flatly.  
  
"What?!?" she gasped in worried shock. "A double.... Who'd he kill?" she asked   
urgently. "Please, tell me who!"  
  
He looked at her in perplexion for a moment before he spoke. "It was the two   
people I had been trailing for a while, Nathaniel Erwight and Regina Juléi.   
Remember when I said that I was working on another case when you first hired   
me?"  
  
Diane sighed in relief. "Good, it wasn't them...," she whispered to herself.  
  
"Wasn't who?" Jack asked.  
  
She whirled to face him, surprised that he had heard her. "No one...," she   
began, when he cut her off by storming toward her.  
  
"Listen, Diane Silver," he began harshly, "I want to know what's between you   
and that man. When we agreed to the terms of this case, there was never any   
mention that I might be trying to find a killer."  
  
"So?" she said challengingly. "There are risks to take in a job like yours. If   
you're scared, then quit. I can always hire someone else to help me. In fact,   
since you have already found him, just tell me where I can find him, and I'll   
take care of things myself."  
  
Jack looked suspiciously at her for a moment. "I knew there was something   
about you that didn't seem right to me. Who are you, anyway? Seeing as how   
you've put my life at risk without my knowing, I believe I'm entitled to at   
least that much. You can trust me," he added after it looked as though she   
wasn't going to say anything. "I'm a professional; I won't disclose anything   
that is personal, or private, as long as it's not illegal."  
  
Diane looked at him for a moment and sighed. "You're right, Jack," she said   
after a while. "After unknowningly putting you in as much danger as I did, I   
do owe you a little explanation. But, what I tell you cannot go outside you,   
or your secretary. Understand?"  
  
"As you wish," he replied with a solemn nod.  
  
"Okay," she said with a nod. "Well, here it goes. I work for the F.B.I. on   
special cases. You know, kidnapping and the like. High risk stuff.  
  
"Anyway, about a week and a half ago, the daughter of a good friend of mine,   
and her boyfriend, were both kidnapped by the man I'm searching for," she   
explained. "Hotaru Tomoe, age 18, and Ryoku Kino, age 19."  
  
"I understand now," Jack said suddenly as he pointed a finger at Diane for   
emphasis.  
  
"Oh?" she asked with some amusement. "You think you know the whole story just   
from what I've told you?"  
  
"First," he said as he turned away from her and pointed a single finger into   
the air, "your superiors prevented you from taking on this case, since you are   
close to the victims and your judgement may've beeen compromised by your   
emotions...."  
  
"My emotions are always under control!" she retorted heatedly. As he smirked   
at her over her shoulder, she grimaced in chagrin at her outburst. "Well,   
they are."  
  
"Second," he continued as he raised a second finger into the air, "since you   
want me to keep silence about all of this, you must be working unilaterally   
on this case. No help or backup at all, am I right? You're on your own?"  
  
"I told Souichi that I would find his daughter, personally," she said quietly.   
"I will make good on that promise, even if it means breaking the rules to do   
it. Even if it means that I have to do it all on my own."  
  
Jack nodded understandingly. "Then, there's the fact that you hired me. You   
obviously could've done this by yourself if you wanted to, but since you are   
budgeted on time, and living in a hotel room is very expensive, you needed a   
second pair of eyes to help search, right? So you got Christy and myself to   
help you. Now I know why you wanted him so bad."  
  
"Okay, smart guy," she said as she rolled her eyes, "so you can fill in the   
blanks, after all."  
  
"It helps pay the bills," he retored with a smirk. "So, that's it, then?" he   
asked. "It's done? You're gonna take it from here, I suppose."  
  
"Yeah, I guess so," she said with a shrug. "Now that I know he's here, I will   
find him. I don't suppose that you have a good idea where to find the guy, do   
you?" She sighed as he shook his head. "I didn't think so. Thanks anyway. So,   
how much do I owe you? I suppose you want me to discuss it with your   
secretary."  
  
Jack considered her for a moment. "No charge," he replied finally. "I know   
you're gonna need to save your money for that hotel bill."  
  
"No kidding," she said with a bitter laugh. "I just wish that I knew someone   
out here. Thanks for the generous offer, though, but I wouldn't feel right   
about it, especially after what I put you through...."  
  
"Wait," he cut in with a small grin. "I think I know of a way that I can help   
you out. My office has a small living space in the back; you can stay there.   
I'll even let you pay rent, if it'll make you feel better."  
  
Diane looked at him in surprise. "You've got to be kidding me," she said as   
she raised an eyebrow.  
  
"It may not be a first-class hotel, but at least it won't be as expensive as   
one," he told her. "You said you wished you knew someone out here. Well?"  
  
"And where will you sleep?" she asked, folding her arms pointedly.  
  
"I have my own place," he answered with a grin. "What? You thought I lived in   
my office?"  
  
"Well, yeah," she admitted. "I mean, I saw the bed back there...."  
  
"That's just if I'm too tired to go home," he told her with a laugh. "You   
mean, you thought I was inviting you to stay with me?"  
  
"It's not that funny," she said dryly.  
  
"Oh, so you can tease me, but I can't tease you?" he countered wryly.  
  
"You still remember that?" she asked with a small chagrined smile. "Well, I   
suppose that it wouldn't hurt. Your secretary won't mind, will she?"  
  
"I know Ti," he told her. "Once you explain everything to her, she'll   
understand. Besides, it's my office," he added with a smirk.  
  
Diane laughed at that as they started for the door. "Well, all right, Jack.   
So, how much rent are we talking about here...?"  
  
**********************************************  
  
"No way!" Tira exclaimed as soon as Diane explained everything to her. "That   
man kidnapped your friend's daughter and her boyfriend?!?"  
  
"That's right, Tira," she replied with a nod. "I'm going to get them back, no   
matter what they all say. They can't stop me and they won't stop me," she said   
fiercely. "I won't let them."  
  
"I see...," she said with a slow nod. "Well, Diane, Jack and I would be happy   
to help you in any way we can...."  
  
"Jack has already offered to help me," she told her. "In fact, he's allowing   
me to stay in the back office until I find that guy... for a small rental   
charge, of course."  
  
Tira blinked, then looked knowingly at Jack. "Oh, he did, did he?" she asked   
in an insinuating tone of voice as he raised an eyebrow in amusement.  
  
"Lay off, Ti," he growled softly at her, causing her to chuckle quietly.  
  
"Something wrong?" Diane asked after witnessing the exchange between the two.  
  
"Nothing," Jack replied as Tira nudged him playfully in the arm.  
  
"Right...," Diane said as she smirked. "Well, I'm gonna go get the stuff out   
of the car...."  
  
"Hey, don't worry about it," Jack said as he stood up. "You go make yourself   
comfortable in the back. I'll go get your stuff."  
  
"You don't have to...," Diane began, but stopped at he shook his head.  
  
"Just go in the back," he told her. "I've got this." With that, he turned for   
the door, leaving her staring at his back as he left and Tira grinning widely   
at the both of them.  
  
**********************************************  
  
Jed opened the door leading to the roof of the building and stepped outside.   
A light wind blew his short, blonde hair as he made his way to the edge of the   
roof and looked over the side. There was the car he saw last night; license   
plate number: 7YQJ069. A little search of the DMV database - performed by one   
of Max's employees - gave him the name and description of the owner of the   
car, Jack Terrance. All he had to do was wait for the tall, black-haired,   
brown-eyed man to make his way to the car.  
  
After several minutes of waiting, he spotted a man who fit the description of   
Jack Terrance. He had opened the trunk of his car and was taking out some   
small suitcases. He had left one more in the trunk, so he knew that he would   
be coming back out soon for the others. He lifted up his sniper rifle and   
settled it onto the edge of the building, pointing the barrel of the rifle so   
that he'd get a clean shot at his head when he came back.  
  
All he had to do now was wait....  
  
**********************************************  
  
"Hey, Jack," Tira said as she saw him walk in, "lemme get one of those." She   
walked over and took one of the suitcases from him.  
  
"Thanks, Ti," he said gratefully.  
  
"So, you like her, don't you?" she said with a playful smirk.  
  
Jack glanced at her out of the corner of her eye. "So, what if I do?" he asked   
nonchalantly.  
  
"Hah! I knew it!" she said, pointing at him with her free hand. "No wonder you   
offered to let her stay here. Hoping to get on her good side, were you?"  
  
"If you're gonna talk so much," he said as he handed her the other suitcase,   
"then you can take both of these to Diane. I'll go get the last one."  
  
"Hey!!!" she exclaimed indignantly as he turned to leave. "What do you think   
you're doing?!? Get back here and carry your share of the load! Ooh!" she   
growled and shook one of the suitcases at him when the door closed behind him.   
"Jack, you jackass!"  
  
"Your boss passed the load onto you, huh?" Diane said with a chuckle as she   
took one of the suitcases from Tira.  
  
"Ah, don't worry about it," Tira replied offhandedly. "Jack and I play around   
like that all the time. It's been like that ever since I've known him, when he   
and my dad were partners working together for the L.A.P.D."  
  
"Really?" Diane asked with interest. "So, your dad's a cop, too? Or, did he   
leave the force like Jack did?"  
  
Tira's face grew dark for a moment as she stopped in place. "Actually,   
he's...," she began, but cut off as soon as she heard a gunshot go off. "What   
was that?!?" she exclaimed.  
  
Diane had already pulled out a gun from the suitcase she had been carrying and   
had already taken off for the door. As soon as she burst outside, she leaped   
toward the nearest parked car as a pair of gunshots fired toward where she was   
standing.  
  
"You all right?" Jack asked as she came to a stop next to him. She took a   
quick look at him to see if he was all right. Other than the small graze on   
his left shoulder, he was fine. In fact, he had also taken out a small gun   
and was watching the roof across the street for the one who had started   
shooting at him.  
  
"Fine," she said quickly. "I see you've managed to keep from getting your head   
blown off. Must be because of your L.A.P.D. experience, huh?" she asked   
jokingly.  
  
"Actually... I just sneezed," he admitted flatly.  
  
"You're kidding me...," she said as she raised one eyebrow in disbelief.  
  
"Well, that and I saw his reflection in that window over there," he told her   
as he jerked his thumb toward a window not too far away.  
  
"I think the sneeze was more believable," she replied dryly as she moved up to   
fire a shot at the sniper on the roof.  
  
"There's just no satisfying you, is there?" he retorted as he moved to take a   
shot as well.  
  
"Not if all you're gonna give me is lame excuses like sneezing and   
reflections," she replied facetiously.  
  
"Well, what do you expect?" he asked with a shrug. "I'm just a former L.A. cop   
turned private detective. You're the big-shot federal agent. Gimme some credit   
here."  
  
"You avoided getting a fatal wound, I'll give you that," she said with a grin.  
  
"How generous...," he replied flatly.  
  
"What? Just 'cause you're offering me a place to stay, doesn't mean that I   
have to lower my professional standards," she told him.  
  
"Oh, come on...," Jack sighed tiredly. "This from someone who's going against   
her superiors to pursue a vendetta...."  
  
Diane blinked and grimaced slightly. "Touché," she said with some chagrin as   
they heard the sounds of a police siren approaching. "You know, Jack," she   
began as they both stood up while watching carefully for any sign that the   
sniper was still there, "that was kinda fun." She grinned at him as she   
slapped him jovally on the back. "You might wanna work on your comebacks,   
though," she advised him. "Teasing you would be more fun if you had some   
better comebacks. I liked that vendetta one, though. Shows you have potential.  
  
"Anyway, I assume you've got a first aid kit somewhere inside," she said as   
she turned to go inside. "I'll go get it and bring it to you while you take   
care of the police. Just remember: I'm not a federal agent, okay?" she   
reminded him with a wink over her shoulder as she went inside.  
  
Jack stared after Diane and sighed to himself. "What kind of F.B.I. agent is   
that woman, anyway?" he muttered to himself. "And she's supposed to be a top   
agent, too...."  
  
**********************************************  
  
"Cut!" Amy shouted. "All right, people. Break for lunch!"  
  
"All right!" Tanya exclaimed happily. "I was wondering when you were finally   
gonna call lunch break."  
  
"Ah, quit whining, Tanya," Serena said jokingly as she joined her friend.   
"You know how Anderson is; she's never happy unless she gets the scene she   
wants exactly right."  
  
"Not unlike someone else I know," Amy said with a pointed grin.  
  
"Oh?" Serena asked, pretending ignorance. "Who would that be?"  
  
Amy sighed as she shook her head. "Sometimes I wonder why I bother...."  
  
"Aw, come on now," Serena said as she patted the blue-haired director on the   
shoulder consolingly. "I was only joking with you. Lighten up a little." She   
shrugged slightly as she walked away, leaving Amy and Tanya staring after her   
in surprise. "I would think you would be a little more relaxed by now, seeing   
how you've got a boyfriend now...."  
  
"What's with her, Tanya?" Amy asked as she glanced over at her.  
  
The brown-skinned actress merely shrugged. "I guess she's just in a very good   
mood right now," she supposed.  
  
"Well, that's... nice...," she said as she blinked in bewilderment. 'If that   
was her in a good mood, then I wonder if we were better of with her being   
temperimental...?'  
  
Tanya grinned knowingly after her friend. Knowing her, she must've spent a   
long time thinking about Darien last night. Seeing her performance earlier   
and seeing how she was acting now only confirmed her suspicions. Things were   
going exactly as she was hoping.  
  
All that was left was to sit back and leave the rest up to Darien.  
  
**********************************************  
  
To Chapter 20  
  
**********************************************  
  
Author's Note: Now we're really starting to take off in the movie portion of   
this story! Don't worry, though; I haven't forgotton about the other half of   
this story, either. Just sit tight, though, as the movie half kicks into full   
gear and we really start moving! Next chapter: The 'date'; Hotaru and Ryoku   
are released from their prison... only to be taken to somewhere worse; and the   
second attempt on Jack's life goes horribly wrong.  
  
Disclaimer: All original materials belong to their respective   
owners. Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi and a bunch   
of big companies. No copyright infringement is intended. This   
story belongs to Moonsong and myself, and I would appreciate   
you emailing her or myself for permission before posting it   
anywhere else. Thank you.  
  
Prologue Copyright © January 24, 2000 Moonsong.  
Other Chapters Copyright © August 12, 2000 Jason Ulloa.   
All Rights Reserved. 


	21. Chapter 20

Seeing Stars  
By Jason Ulloa  
Original story by Moonsong  
Continued with her permission.  
  
  
Chapter 20  
  
Darien was about to head for his car and go to lunch when he heard Serena call   
out to him. "Serena?" he said in surprise as he turned to face her. "Something   
wrong?"  
  
"Nah, nothing's wrong, Shields," she said dismissively. "It's just that I   
wanted to know if you could do me a favor."  
  
"A favor?" he asked. "What is it?"  
  
"I sort of enjoyed that place of your friend's," she told him. "The Crown,   
right?"  
  
"You wanna go there again; that's what you're asking me?"  
  
"That's right. Can you set it up again?" she requested.  
  
Darien grinned slightly at her. "One condition, though," he told her finally.  
  
"Condition?" she asked, frowning slightly in confusion.  
  
"Yeah," he said with a nod. "Last time we went, I only pretended to be on a   
date with you, just so that we could keep up appearances. This time, it's   
gotta be for real."  
  
"For... real?" Serena asked, raising an eyebrow slightly. "You wanna... go   
out... with me? On an... actual date?"  
  
"That's right," he said certainly.  
  
"You gotta be joking...," she said as she looked at him with some amazement.  
  
"No joke, Serena," he told her. "An actual date."  
  
"Getting braver, aren't we?" she asked, grinning slightly. "Good. I think I   
could actually get to like you like this... maybe." She made a show of   
considering his proposal, when her mind already knew the answer. "You'd better   
hurry up and call your friend while I go start the car. We'll take mine again,   
like last time, but remember, Shields, date or not, my rule about the car   
still stands. Wreck the interior... prepare to die."  
  
"Of course," he said with a grin as he turned and rushed to the nearest phone.   
'Oh, man...,' he thought excitedly to himself, 'I can't believe this! She   
actually AGREED to go out with me! Things just can't get any better....'  
  
'Well, Shields,' Serena thought to herself as she made her way to her car, 'I   
definitely hope you turn out better than all those losers who only wanted a   
relationship with my status and not me.' She glanced at him over her shoulder   
and grinned slightly to herself as she turned back toward her car. 'You seem   
like a nice guy. Stay that way.... Please....'  
  
**********************************************  
  
"Oh, hello, Tanya," Lita said as she walked over to where she was standing.   
"What's going on?" she asked as she noticed her watching Serena and Darien   
talking at the other side of the room. "Anything interesting?"  
  
"Huh?" she asked as she broke her attention away. "Oh, nothing much, Lita."  
  
"Really?" she asked with a knowing grin, as she also glanced over toward   
Serena and Darien. "Looks to me like you were watching something very   
interesting. Lemme guess; Darien's trying to ask out Serena?"  
  
"Yeah," she told her excitedly. "I think he's finally gonna do it...." She   
paused as she realized she said too much, by the look on Lita's face.  
  
"Oh?" Lita asked with a wide grin. "So, playing matchmaker, are we?"  
  
"Well...," Tanya began sheepishly.  
  
"Don't worry," Lita told her with a big smile. "I won't say anything. After   
all, I've done the same thing before, so I kinda know why you're doing this."  
  
"Amy and Jason?" Tanya asked.  
  
"Guilty, as charged," she agreed, raising her right hand up next to her head   
in a mock-guilty gesture. "I have a perfectly good reason, though. He's my   
brother, so I have every right to meddle in his life."  
  
Tanya laughed at that. "Well, Serena and I consider ourselves almost like   
sisters, so I guess I'm all right."  
  
It was Lita's turn to laugh. "I guess so. Hey, look," she said as she pointed   
over toward where Serena and Darien were. "Serena's leaving. Where's Darien   
going?"  
  
"I think I have an idea...," Tanya said cryptically with a slow smile crossing   
her face. "Well, I think I've seen all that I needed to see."  
  
"Huh?" Lita asked quizzically.  
  
"Hey, wanna go get something to eat with me?" Tanya asked. "I'll fill you in   
on all the details, as long as you don't start telling everyone. Once the word   
gets out, Serena will definitly know who to blame, if you know what I mean."  
  
Lita nodded understandingly. "Sure thing. So, where're we going?"  
  
"Hmm...," Tanya said thoughtfully. "Well..., how 'bout some Italian food? For   
some reason, I'm in the mood for Italian."  
  
"Fine by me," Lita replied as the two women left for lunch.  
  
**********************************************  
  
"Again?" Andrew asked, raising an eyebrow in surprise.  
  
"Yeah," Darien told him. "Think you can pull it off again?"  
  
Andrew shrugged to himself as he glanced up at the customer card with Serena's   
signature that he had framed on his wall. "Why not? Bring her over. I'll make   
it happen again."  
  
"Thanks, Andrew," he said gratefully. "I really owe you one now."  
  
"Oh?" Andrew asked, noting the tone of Darien's voice. "Something special   
about this visit?"  
  
"Well, yeah," Darien replied. "This time, it's real."  
  
"What's real?"  
  
"Our date."  
  
"WHAT?!?!?" Andrew exclaimed, physically jerking backward in shock. "You've   
gotta be joking...."  
  
"No joke," Darien replied smugly. "I'm going on a date with Serena Moon."  
  
"Woah...," he murmured in pure disbelief as he sat down in his office chair.   
"What a change, Dare. She goes from hating your guts to just tolerating you to   
forgiving you to... well... this. All I can say is... HOW?"  
  
"I'm not too sure myself," Darien admitted. "I don't give a damn about how,   
anyway. I'm here; that's all that matters. Now, all I need to do is make sure   
this all goes well. Can't blow my big chance on something stupid, right?"  
  
"Leave it to me, Dare," Andrew said confidently. "No one will bother your   
table, even if I have to evacuate the building to do it."  
  
"You don't have to go THAT far...," Darien said with a chuckle.  
  
"Well, I just wanna make sure that no one bothers Serena," Andrew said with a   
sly grin. "I don't care if they bother you."  
  
Darien laughed at that. "I still say you're a big kiss-ass."  
  
"And I still say you're ungrateful," Andrew countered, causing even more   
laughter to erupt from both men.  
  
"Listen, Andrew," Darien said when he got himself under control. "Serena's   
waiting for me, so can you start getting everything ready?"  
  
"Got it, Dare," he replied with a nod. "Good luck."  
  
"Thanks," Darien said gratefully. "See you in a bit." With that, he hung up   
the phone.  
  
Andrew hung up the phone on his end and sighed to himself. It wasn't that it   
was going to be hard; it was just that he had just remembered Raye. She was   
going to be upset once she learned that Darien was now seeing Serena. Then   
again, Raye had said that she was going to try and see Darien when he got off   
work.... Had she already learned the bad news?  
  
He slowly pushed himself out of his chair after shaking his head to rid   
himself of those worrisome thoughts. Now wasn't the time to be contemplating   
on Darien's old girlfriend. It was time to help him try to gain a potential   
new girlfriend.  
  
**********************************************  
  
It was nearing the time when the Crown was the busiest when Serena pulled up   
to the building. She glanced around and grimaced slightly. "I'm getting a bad   
feeling about this, Shields.... There wasn't half as many people as there was   
last time."  
  
"We came on a weekend, remember?" Darien pointed out. "This place isn't as   
busy then. College students, remember? Probably out partying."  
  
"One of them is surely going to recognize me," Serena murmured to herself.   
"Especially in that poor excuse for a disguise you used last time. I can't go   
in there. Not now."  
  
Darien was about to say something about the crack on his disguise, but decided   
against it. He had to think about how they were going to get in unnoticed. A   
slight tapping on the window made Darien jerk back in surprise.  
  
It was Andrew.  
  
"Did I startle you, Dare?" Andrew asked as Darien rolled down the window.  
  
"How'd you...?" Serena began.  
  
"I remembered the car you came in last time," he explained.  
  
"Oh," Serena said, obviously relieved. "I thought you saw me through the   
window and recognized me."  
  
"No," he assured her. "I only saw the car. I recognized your car since it   
wasn't that long since you visited my establishment. After all, how can I   
forget the vehicle of the most distinguished guest to ever enter my place of   
business?"  
  
"I told you he was a kiss-ass," Darien murmured to Serena, which earned him a   
laugh from Serena and another smack on the shoulder from Andrew.  
  
"Before I was interrupted by this ungrateful jackass," Andrew continued, "I   
was about to say that I've come up with a way to hide you from the public   
eye."  
  
"Really?" Serena asked, intrigued. "Tell me."  
  
"With these," he said, bringing out a bag from behind his back. "This kerchief   
and these sunglasses were all I could scrape together on such short notice,   
but I'll let you two in through the side entrance, as if you two were   
important business vendors and I was trying to persuade you two to bring some   
of your business to my establishment."  
  
"I see," Serena said, nodding as Darien took the bag and handed it to her.   
"That way, everyone won't be paying much attention to us, even though we might   
stand out slightly."  
  
"Exactly," Andrew agreed. "I'll stay by your table for a little bit, then I'll   
make an excuse about needing to take care of important business and leave you   
both to yourselves."  
  
"I gotta admit," Serena said with a grin as she undid her hair and started to   
gather it up underneath the kerchief, "you're very shrewd."  
  
"You gotta be in order to run a business as successful as mine," Andrew said   
smugly.  
  
"Hey, I owe you big for this, Andrew," Darien said as Serena began to tie up   
the kerchief under her chin.  
  
"You're giving me bragging rights, Dare," Andrew replied with sly grin. "Not   
many people can say that the famous actress Serena Moon has visited their   
place of business. And twice at that!"  
  
"Let's not get too excited now," Serena said flatly as she slipped on the   
shades. "After all, I'm not to fond of having the places I go to infested   
with paparazzi and fans screaming for an autograph. Remember, over everything   
else, I like the fact that they won't be looking for me in a place like this."  
  
"Of course," Andrew said, quickly containing his eagerness. "Well then, we can   
go whenever you are ready, Serena."  
  
Serena nodded as she and Darien exited the car. "Then, let's go."  
  
"Welcome to the Crown, Mr. Morrison and Ms. Forrester," Andrew said with the   
air of someone trying to impress someone important. "Please, come this way."  
  
"Hmm...," Serena said, giving the place a sweeping glance, as if surveying the   
area. "Not too bad," she said with a slightly approving tone. "A friendly   
atmosphere; seems to draw the local college crowd. What do you think,   
Morrison?" she asked turning to look at Darien.  
  
"Huh?" Darien asked before catching on. "Oh, right. Seems to be really busy   
right now, as well. Your lunch crowd, I take it?"  
  
"Yes, we usually serve an average of over 300 people during the peak lunch   
hour," Andrew told them. "Also, we take in an average of $35 in quarters in   
the top five most popular arcade machines. Mostly fighting games. We   
occasionally hold a small tournament with a grand prize of $50. That brings in   
a good amount of revenue as well."  
  
"And how is the variety of your games?" Serena asked, showing some slight   
interest.  
  
"We have a good variety, but we lean toward fighting games, since a lot of the   
students like to take on one another during their off-time," he replied. "We   
also have sports games, action games, a couple of classic games for nostalgia,   
and I'm waiting on the delivery of a flight simulator game that'll really   
attract a lot of customers."  
  
"A flight simulator?" Darien asked as Andrew showed them to their table. "How   
much did that cost you?"  
  
"I had to save up for it for quite a while, but I truly believe that it's   
going to be worth it in the long run," Andrew said.  
  
"Hey, Andrew," a student in the booth not too far away called out. "I thought   
I heard you say that you're getting a flight simulator."  
  
"Yeah, that's right," he replied. "It should be coming withing the next couple   
of weeks."  
  
"This ain't one of them cheap simulators that look like someone put a wide   
screen in front of those quarter rides that you find in front of supermarkets,   
is it?" he asked warily.  
  
Andrew turned to look at Serena and Darien, then winked, signalling that he   
was going to give them their privacy. "If you two would please excuse me, I   
must see to some other important matters that need my immediate attention."  
  
"That will be all right, Mr. Craven," Darien said. "Ms. Forrester and I will   
be all right here. We'll make our decision after we observe your   
establishment's service."  
  
"We'll be sure to inform you of our findings when we are satisfied," Serena   
added. "And thank you for the tour, Mr. Craven."   
  
Andrew nodded and left to go continue his conversation with the student. After   
a short time, Darien glanced around them. "I think we pulled it off," Darien   
said with a wide grin. "No one is staring or even bothering to glance this   
way."  
  
"I've got to hand it to you, Shields," Serena said as she pulled down on her   
shades and grinned at him over the frame. "I never expected you to be able to   
pull off improv acting as well as you did back there. I'm impressed."  
  
"Thank you," he said with a chagrined smile. "You were perfect, as usual."  
  
"Bah, that was all right," she said, waving off the compliment. "I could've   
done better, but that's the way it goes with improv. You always think you   
could've done better when it's over."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yeah," she told him. "It was always like that whenever I did improv back in   
high school and in college. I wasn't as much of a perfectionist as I am now,   
but I always felt as though I could've done better when it was over." She   
paused as she glanced at him thoughtfully. "You know, Tanya used to say the   
exact same thing to me. That I was perfect. I never believed her, though. I   
just couldn't believe that. I was always finding ways that I could've done   
this or that in a better way...."  
  
"That's probably why you're as great as you are now, Serena," Darien said.   
"You took what you learned and improved upon it. You know what I think?"  
  
"What?" she asked, her expression showing no sharpness; only interest.  
  
"I think that your performances were perfect... at the time," he explained.   
"The only reason that you thought that they weren't perfect was because once   
you saw how you could improve, you raised your idea of what perfect was. The   
only reason why you can never achieve perfection is not because you aren't   
good enough; it's because you keep finding ways to improve upon perfection."  
  
Serena was silent as she pondered his words. It was amazing how he could find   
just the right thing to say to make her change the way she thought about him.   
Add to the fact that the guy was unbelievably handsome, not to mention that   
he had a sexy body.... She once again recalled the image of Darien without his   
shirt, when she had caused him to have his little coffee accident what seemed   
to be ages ago. A slow grin curved her lips as she stared down at the menu on   
the table in front of her.  
  
"Are you... blushing?" Darien asked hesitantly.  
  
Serena blinked in realization, graeful that she was wearing shades. Even   
though her experience and training in the performance arts gave her flawless   
command over her facial expressions, her eyes would still give her away   
whenever she was caught by surprise. She had no idea that she had been   
blushing, although now she was fighting the urge to blush in embarrasment for   
getting caught blushing like that. She had better control than that.  
  
"Just read your menu, Shields," Serena muttered without looking up from the   
table.  
  
One of the servers came to their table and asked them if they were ready to   
order. Serena grinned to herself as Darien ordered a large pizza for the both   
of them. She watched how easily he fell back into the role of Mr. Morrison,   
speaking with the calm, straight-forward and competent tone of one who is used   
to dealing with high officals and very important people. 'He may not be as   
experienced as I am, but he certainly can handle his own. Anderson and Van   
Holst seem to have lucked out when they came across this guy.'  
  
After the server left, returned with their drinks, then left again, Serena   
thoughtfully glanced down at the drink in front of her. "You know, Shields,"   
she began quietly, "a few weeks ago, I never would've come within thirty feet   
of you if you were near any drinks." She softly laughed to herself as she took   
a small sip of her soda. "Now, here I am, drinking with you at the same table,   
and on a date, no less. Funny how things can change so quickly."  
  
Darien nodded wordlessly as he glanced down at his soda. "I know what you   
mean, Serena," he replied. "It was over drinks that I lost my previous job,   
and it was while I was drinking a soda that I learned that my agent had gotten   
me this job." He glanced up at her with a charming smirk on his face. "Maybe   
it's just me, but I'm beginning to think that sodas are kind of a good luck   
charm, considering everything that's been happening lately."  
  
Serena raised an eyebrow in amusement. "Soda... a good luck charm?" She   
laughed quietly as she raised her glass to him in toast. "Well then, Shields,   
here's to your sodas."  
  
He laughed as he raised his glass in return. "May they always bring me good   
luck," he said as he clinked his glass against hers. "And may they always have   
ice."  
  
She laughed again as the server returned with their pizza and a couple of   
plates. She thanked him and dismissed him, telling him that they would need   
nothing further. After they had each served themselves and started eating,   
a stray thought crossed her mind. "Say, Shields, mind if I ask you a question?"  
  
"Only if I can ask one in return," he replied with a smile.  
  
"Bargaining now, are we?" she countered slyly. "Well met, Shields. Very well,   
I accept your proposition. A question for a question. What I want to know is   
this: How much acting have you done? To be honest, your acting is of a level   
equal to that of a well-seasoned professional. I've heard from Anderson and   
Van Holst that although you've had experience in bit parts and extra work,   
you've never really had much experience in major parts like the one you have   
now. I'm curious as to how you can act at the level you're doing now with   
almost the same amount of competence that I would display."  
  
Darien nodded as if he was expecting the question. "Somehow, I knew you would   
ask me that question one day," he said in a level tone. "However, I have no   
real explanation as to how I can do what I do. All I can say is that when I   
act, I become the person I'm playing."  
  
"Yeah, I know what you're talking about," Serena replied, nodding as if she   
had heard the explanation before. "'Think as though you are the person you are   
portraying.' Am I right, Shields?"  
  
"Not in the way you're thinking, Serena," he told her. "Let me put it this   
way: when I act, I'm not acting like Jack Terrance. I am Jack Terrance."  
  
"I'm not sure I get what you're trying to tell me," she said as she took a   
bite from her pizza.  
  
"It's like my mind shifts into a totally different personality," he explained.   
"Maybe I should go a little further back. When I was little, my parents were   
killed in a car accident."  
  
"I'm sorry to hear that," she said consolingly as she reached out and put a   
sympathetic hand on his.  
  
"It's all right," he said with a small grateful smile. "Anyway, I was put into   
an orphanage when I was very young. While I stayed there, I grew tired of all   
the people telling me how sorry they were for me that my parents were dead.   
They would always try to make me feel better, but for some reason they just   
made me angry. After all, they still had their parents. How could they know   
what I felt?  
  
"In order to escape from all the insincere condolances an sympathy, I started   
to pretend that I was different people. I made up many different people,   
complete with personalities, ways of thinking, everything. I had to be   
convincing, otherwise they'd just think I was playing around and I wasn't   
serious. Then they would start all over again, saying that it must be hard not   
having my parents around anymore. It just drove me crazy.  
  
"Crazy...," he repeated with a laugh. "You know, I was so convincing that they   
actually thought I had a multiple personality disorder or something like that   
and took me to see a psychologist. After seeing how worried I made them, I   
stopped trying to hide behind my made-up characters and took their pity.  
  
"Now that I think about it, it was one of the people at the orphanage who put   
the idea of becoming an actor into my mind," Darien said thoughtfully, then   
chuckled in wry chagrin. "After graduating high school, I was ready to go to   
college to study the performance arts and become an actor. The end result is   
what you see sitting across from you."  
  
"That's quite a story, Shields," Serena said after a while. "I guess you've   
had it rough for a while, huh?"  
  
"Nothing I couldn't handle," he replied confidently. "Well, shall we enjoy our   
pizza, Serena? It's starting to get cold."  
  
"What about your question, Shields?" she asked. "Aren't you going to ask me a   
question in return for you answering my question?"  
  
"Yeah, but not now," he replied. "You see, we agreed that you would answer a   
question for me in return for me answering a question of yours. We never   
specified WHEN I would ask you the question."  
  
Serena's mouth opened, as if she going to say something, but closed as a slow   
grin crossed her face. "You're almost as slick as your friend, Andrew,   
Shields," she said wryly. "Very well, then, when do you plan on asking your   
question?"  
  
"When the time is right, Serena," he replied cryptically as he bit into his   
pizza.  
  
**********************************************  
  
"That's it!" Serena said with mock anger as she and Darien left the Crown.   
"The next time we come here, I swear I am going to kick your ass on Marvel vs.   
Capcom 2! If I didn't know any better, I'd swear you were cheating somehow."  
  
"It's the skill, Serena," Darien replied with an exaggerated arrogant tone.   
"All you need is practice.... Lots of it." He made a show of grinning at her   
over his shoulder. "Either that, or just choose better characters."  
  
"Hey, I LIKE the characters I pick, thank you," she retorted with a smirk,   
fully enjoying the back and forth teasing. "Unlike those lumbering hulks that   
you enjoy using. I prefer to use technique, rather than just brute force."  
  
"Well then," he said as he opened the car door for her, "keep working on your   
technique, since my ungainly brute force is still whipping your ass."  
  
Serena grinned as she got into the car and let Darien close the door for her.   
Normally, she would prefer to close the door herself, just beside she didn't   
want her dates to think that she was some kind of helpless bit of blonde-  
haired fluff who would always depend on the man to do everything for her. With   
Darien, she somehow knew that he wouldn't think that way about her. She knew   
he would let her open her own doors and pay her own way if she wished it, so   
letting him do these things for her was just her way of letting him act out   
the part of the chivalrous gentleman.  
  
"I want to thank you for another great time," she said as soon as Darien got   
into the passenger side and closed the door behind him.  
  
"It was my pleasure, Serena," he said with a small nod and a smile. "No thanks   
are necessary."  
  
She nodded as if she was expecting him to say that. "Well, I'm going to thank   
you anyway," she said firmly as she leaned over and kissed him gently on the   
cheek. "Thank you, Darien."  
  
As she started the car and pulled out of the parking lot, Darien smiled as he   
looked out the window. Every so often, while Serena was busy watching the   
road, he would reach up and touch the spot on his cheek where she kissed him   
and remembered the intoxicating feel of her lips against his skin. Combined   
with the sound of her voice as she said his name - she had actually called him   
by his FIRST name! - he knew that, to him, she had given him more than he had   
given her.  
  
"No," he whispered softly to himself so that she couldn't hear him, "thank   
you."  
  
**********************************************  
  
To Chapter 21  
  
**********************************************  
  
Author's Note: Aah!!! I did it again! I wrote so much that I had to break to   
the next chapter... again! Well, I guess that's what happens when I get   
carried away. Oh, and another thing, for all the readers at Fanfiction.net, I   
reloaded Chapter 19 and made sure it was all up. Sorry for not doing it   
sooner, but I thought you were all talking about how I ended the chapter when   
you all said that it had just cut off as it did. Oops! -_-; Well, everybody   
makes mistakes, right? Oh, well... look forward to the next chapter, coming   
soon to a website near you! ^_^ Next chapter: Melvin, Molly, and G.Q. discuss   
ideas for the possible final revision; Hotaru and Ryoku are released from   
their prison... only to be taken to somewhere worse; and the second attempt on   
Jack's life goes horribly wrong.  
  
Disclaimer: All original materials belong to their respective   
owners. Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi and a bunch   
of big companies. No copyright infringement is intended. This   
story belongs to Moonsong and myself, and I would appreciate   
you emailing her or myself for permission before posting it   
anywhere else. Thank you.  
  
Prologue Copyright © January 24, 2000 Moonsong.  
Other Chapters Copyright © August 12, 2000 Jason Ulloa.   
All Rights Reserved. 


	22. Chapter 21

Seeing Stars  
By Jason Ulloa  
Original story by Moonsong  
Continued with her permission.  
  
  
Chapter 21  
  
"So, what do you think so far?" G.Q. asked after swallowing a mouthful of   
food. He set down his hamburger and took a quick drink of his soda before   
continuing. "I made quite a few changes to the second half of the script,   
especially to the scenes between Jack and Diane during Tokyo, Hong Kong, and   
Sydney. The biggest changes of all take place in Sydney."  
  
Molly's eyes blinked as she reread the page over again. "I... see," she said   
simply.  
  
"This is quite a big change you're making here, G.Q.," Melvin said as he put   
down his copy of the script and looked straight at him. "Any reason why you're   
making this change? I thought that the script beforehand was pretty good."  
  
"Well, first of all, what do you think of the script now?" G.Q. asked,   
grinning confidently. "Remember that I haven't finished all of the changes   
that I've been planning. I just want to get some feedback and possible   
suggestions before continuing, so what you're looking at is just the potential   
of what the script could be. At least, I think so."  
  
"What the script could be?" Molly asked, rasing an eyebrow as she nibbled   
daintily at her sushi, fish and rice wrapped in seaweed, with her chopsticks.   
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Look here," G.Q. said, flipping his copy of the script around and pointing at   
the scene in question. "Tokyo. Before, we just had Jack and Diane go straight   
from arriving in Tokyo to confronting Jed in the museum. Instead, we now have   
them temporarily checking into a hotel room nearby in order to stake out the   
musuem."  
  
"And you've also made them start to grow attracted to each other earlier in   
the story than before," Melvin added. "I think I can see where you're headed   
with this. This way, there will be more tension and added pressure for them   
should the other be put in an extremely dangerous situation, right?" He added   
emphasis to his question by pointing at G.Q. with his chopsticks before he   
picked out one of the fried shrimps from the bentou lunch Molly made for him.  
  
"Exactly," G.Q. said, pointing at Melvin for added emphasis.  
  
"So, what about that one hotel scene in Sydney?" Molly added. "Exactly how far   
are you planning to take that one?"  
  
"How... far?" G.Q. asked, blinking in confusion at the question.  
  
"Yes, how far?" she repeated. "I don't think that there's any need for me to   
go into a detailed explanation of what I mean."  
  
"That will be explained in full detail when the blue final revision comes   
out," he replied. "Do you have any objections to the scene?" he asked.  
  
"No, no objections," she replied. "I just wanted to know exactly how far you   
were planning on taking it. I'm sure that I'm not going to be the only people   
that will want to know. Serena and Darien will most definitely want to know,   
since they will be the ones doing the scene. I'm pretty sure that Darien won't   
mind - most males don't - but Serena will probably want some say in the scene,   
depending on how far it goes."  
  
"Well, there's several ways to go about it," G.Q. began after taking another   
bite of his hamburger. "We could make the room dark with only the exterior   
lights providing enough illumination to show the action, but little detail.   
We could use the often-used method of using the man as a screen, showing only   
his back due to the camera angle. Same thing if the couple is lying down on   
the bed, only Serena'll have to make sure she stays pressed against Darien, or   
else she'll risk showing more than necessary. Then again, some directors just   
let the woman expose her upper half to the camera, but I hardly think that Amy   
would go for such a thing. Sometimes I think that that overused phrase 'for   
the sake of art,' or 'for the sake of the theater' is becoming more of an   
excuse than a reason, nowadays."  
  
"I agree entirely," Molly said firmly, nodding her agreement. "I'm sure that   
Amy will know what's best, though. I think we should leave the final decision   
on that scene to her."  
  
"Well, since we've agreed on that," Melvin said as he flipped through his copy   
of the script, "let's go on. If you wanna go to the final revision, G.Q., then   
we've gotta make sure we've looked at everything and come up with all the   
ideas we can think off."  
  
"This might take a few days, maybe a week," G.Q. said as he thoughtfully   
sipped his soda.  
  
"Well, we'd better get back to work, then," Melvin said. "After all, this   
script isn't going to revise itself. And, if scripts did revise themselves...   
well, you'd be out of a job, now wouldn't you?" he said, laughing to himself.  
  
Molly and G.Q. exchanged a patient look. "I do love the man," Molly said with   
a sigh, "but his horrible jokes get on my nerves sometimes."  
  
"I feel your pain," G.Q. replied sympathetically while Melvin tried to get   
himself back under control.  
  
"Out... of... a job...," Melvin wheezed while laughing.  
  
"Mou...," Molly muttered irritably while making a vexed face.  
  
"Ditto," G.Q. sighed as he took another bite of his hamburger.  
  
**********************************************  
  
"How long has it been, Ryo-chan?" Hotaru asked from the room. She had been   
sitting on the bed for a long time since waking up that morning just staring   
at the building next to them from out of the room's window.  
  
She had started doing that a couple of days ago and even though it was   
beginning to worry Ryoku, he didn't say anything about it. It was better than   
when she was crying every morning for five hours straight.  
  
Ryoku exited the kitchen and walked into the bedroom, giving Hotaru a   
concerned, yet loving look as he sat down next to her. "We've been here for   
almost ten days, Hotaru-chan," he replied calmly as he put his hand on hers   
and squeezed it.  
  
"Something's wrong," she said as her eyes began to narrow. "I can hear it in   
your voice. What's wrong, Ryo-chan?" Her voice began to grow panicked, so   
Ryoku quickly took her in his arms and started rocking her back and forth   
until she began to calm down. He had figured out the best way for calming her   
when she was having her crying fits. Even though she still cried for five   
hours straight, it wasn't as bad as when she first started crying.   
  
Before, she cried so hard that it soon became hard for her to breathe at   
times. Those days, before he figured out his soothing technique, she cried for   
almost the entire day, stopping only to eat, although she would sometimes cry   
then, as well. The only thing Ryoku could think of was when his mother used   
to comfort him when he was small. When he first tried it, Hotaru told him that   
it reminded her of when her own mother used to do that with her. It worked   
almost every time.  
  
"There is something wrong," he said when Hotaru calmed down. "I just finished   
checking our food supply."  
  
"Are we... out of food?" she asked faintly.  
  
"Even though we started cutting down on what we eat," he began slowly, "we   
only have enough food to last us for the rest of today."  
  
"The water and power has been cut off for a few days now," Hotaru added   
faintly. "I'm glad you thought about filling those jugs full of water before   
the water got turned off. It's been getting hotter every day now."  
  
"I had a feeling that this would happen," he said quietly. "Since the A/C is   
off due to no electricity, it's gonna get hotter soon. We need the water to   
keep from dehydrating ourselves. With the windows welded shut, we have no   
ventilation to cool this place down. We can get by on no food for a few days,   
but dehydration can lead to heat stroke in this heat."  
  
Hotaru was quiet for a long time before she stood up from the bed and walked   
over to the front door. Ryoku followed a short distance behind, watching her.   
Hotaru suddenly started to scream as she kicked and pounded on the metal door,   
which was welded completely shut.  
  
Ryoku quietly stood back as he let her relieve herself of her frustrations. He   
knew that they were in a dire, life-threatening situation, and the only thing   
that was keeping him from joining her in venting his frustrations against the   
impenetrable door was the fact that he had to remain strong for her. She   
needed his strength to keep from completely falling apart from the situation   
she was in. She needed him.  
  
After a long time of venting her frustrations, she finally let her anger   
subside as she sank down to the floor. "Ryo-chan...," she called out weakly,   
which quickly summoned him to her side. "Take me to our room," she requested   
quietly as she continued to stare at the unmoving metal door. Ryoku wordlessly   
picked her up and carried her to the room and sat her down on the bed.  
  
"Let me get you some water, Hotaru-chan," he told her as he turned to leave.   
"I think you should try to refrain from doing that again for a while," he said   
as he poured water into a small glass. 'It's getting hotter already,' he   
thought to himself as he wiped the sweat forming on his head. "You'll only   
make yourself sweat more, and that will dehydrate you. We've got to make this   
water last, since this is all we have." He reached for the water and paused as   
a thought came to mind. 'Since it's going to get hotter soon, I need to do   
something to keep cool.' He quickly reached for the bottom of his shirt and   
pulled the whole shirt off over his head, leaving his chest bare. 'Too bad   
Hotaru-chan can't do this as well,' he thought. 'Maybe she can borrow my shirt   
and use it to cover herself down to her thighs. It'd be cooler than the   
clothes she's wearing now.'  
  
As soon as he walked into the room, he almost dropped the glass in shock.   
"Hotaru-chan?" he exclaimed in shock as he noticed her state of dress.  
  
"I see you had the same idea, Ryo-chan," she said with a smile as she laid   
back against the bed and looked him over. Her eyes caught on the small   
makeshift bandage she had made for him almost a week ago, to replace the   
bloody one she made for him on their first day there. He hardly showed any   
sign of being injured anymore, which amazed her due to the fact that he had   
sustained very heavy injuries, but she accepted his explanation that he had   
always been a rapid healer. "But, why did you keep your pants on as well?   
You'll get hot in those." Her smile turned seductive as she noticed Ryoku's   
expression. "So... you like?"  
  
Ryoku swallowed again as he tried to gather his thoughts, but seeing her in   
her underwear was quite distracting. Especially since the underwear was the   
exact shade of violet as her eyes and showed off her figure VERY well.   
"Hotaru-chan! You're almost naked! Why don't you at least wear a shirt?" he   
added while tossing his shirt toward her.  
  
Hotaru laughed as she caught his shirt, then sat up and walked up to him.   
"It's only you and me here, Ryo-chan," she said as she took the water from him   
and drank it. "You will be the only one to see me like this," she said as she   
turned around and tried to strike a seductive pose, like she had seen in those   
Victoria's Secret catalogs that she remembered from when her mother used to   
buy stuff like this for her father to see her in. She had always told her that   
when she grew up and was ready to wear things like this, that she should only   
show them off to the one she loved. Well, she definitely loved Ryoku, and   
seeing the situation that they were in.... Well, her mother would understand.  
  
"But, Hotaru-chan...," he began faintly as he tried to gather his thoughts   
together.  
  
"Shh...," she began as she put a finger to his lips to silence him. "I've been   
thinking about this for a long time. If anyone was going to save us, or at   
least use us to get ransom from my father, then someone would've at least come   
for us by now." She shook her head, then hugged him sadly. "No one's coming   
for us, Ryo-chan. We're going to die together. Here." She moved back so that   
she could look him straight in the eye. "We're going to die here, don't you   
see?"  
  
"Hotaru-chan...," he said again, but drifted off quietly. 'Maybe she's right,'   
he thought as he stared down at the floor, thinking. 'It's been too long.   
Either way, someone should've come for us, but we've been condemned to a slow   
death by either dehydration, starvation, or both. Without food and more water,   
I don't know how long we'll last here.'  
  
"There's something that I want to ask you, Ryo-chan, but... I don't know how   
to ask it...," she began quietly... and bashfully.  
  
"You can ask me anything," he told her gently. "You know that."  
  
"Yes," she said with a serene expression on her face. "I do know that." With   
that she sat down on the bed and pulled Ryoku around so that he was standing   
in front of her. "I know this may sound inappropriate for people our age, and   
especially since we've only known each other for such a short time, but under   
the circumstances, I think we can forget about all of that."  
  
"What are you talking about?" he asked in confusion. He was answered by Hotaru   
gently pulling him down toward her and kissing him passionately.  
  
"We may die in a few days, Ryo-chan," she said quietly as she looked deeply   
into his eyes. "Before that happens, I want you to make love to me."  
  
"Nani?!?" he said, gasping in shock for a second, then stared into Hotaru's   
eyes with grave seriousness etched into his own eyes. "Are you sure about   
this, Hotaru-chan?"  
  
"Make love to me, Ryo-chan," she repeated, her own eyes pleading with him.   
"I want to experience this with you just once before we die. Onegai, Ryo-chan?"  
  
Ryoku replied by kissing Hotaru as he climbed onto the bed over her. "I love   
you, Hotaru-chan," he said gently as he caressed her face with his hand.  
  
"I love you, Ryo-chan," she replied with the same gentleness as she ran a   
hand down his bare chest and stared up lovingly at him.  
  
Hotaru sat up and reached behind her back to unfasten her bra, but paused when   
Ryoku glanced behind him with a wary expression on his face. "What's wrong,   
Ryo-chan?" she asked as she followed his gaze out of the bedroom toward the   
front.  
  
"I thought I heard something," he said without turning his head. "Voices   
outside."  
  
"Voices?" she repeated hopefully. "Oh, you think they're here to rescue us?"  
  
"I don't know," he said doubtfully as he slowly, and very reluctantly, moved   
away from Hotaru and got to his feet. "Stay here. I'm going to go check it   
out."  
  
"I'm coming, too, Ryo-chan," she replied as she got up as well.  
  
Ryoku merely shrugged as he bent down, grabbed his shirt, and tossed it to her   
again. "Wear this then," he told her. "Wouldn't want anybody else other than   
me to see you in that, ne?" he said with a grin.  
  
Hotaru blushed as she slipped into his shirt, then glanced down to see how his   
shirt looked on herself.  
  
"You look very sexy in that, Hotaru-chan," he commented with an approving   
grin. She smiled and winked at him. "All right," he said, turning serious.   
"Let's go."  
  
Ryoku and Hotaru slowly crept out of the bedroom and moved closer toward the   
front, using the abandoned furniture as cover as they tried to see who was   
coming.  
  
"Yeah, this's the place," a male voice said in reply to an unheard question.   
"Got the stuff?" the voice asked almost eagerly.  
  
"I swear, you get off on it, don't you?" another male asked. "What is it with   
you and high explosives, anyway?"  
  
"I DON'T 'get off' from explosives!" the first male retorted. "I just find   
them very useful."  
  
"Useful, huh?" the second said patiently, as if he had had this conversation   
before. "I'll bet. Haven't you ever heard of the expression, 'Don't use a   
sledgehammer to swat a housefly'?"  
  
"Yeah. So?"  
  
The second male sighed patiently. "Just go get the torch. After I start on the   
door, go get the rest of the gear, okay?"  
  
It was quiet for a moment while the first man left. "High explosives?" Hotaru   
whispered questioningly to Ryoku.  
  
"I don't think this is a rescue," he replied with a worried expression on his   
face. "I think they've finally remembered about us."  
  
"Why'd they have to come back?" she said in a frightened voice as she clutched   
onto Ryoku. "It was better when it was just me and you!"  
  
"Try to think of it this way," he told her as he gathered her into his arms   
and slowly rocked her back and forth again, trying to calm her. "In a way,   
we're being saved from a slow, certain death. It may look like we might be   
headed for what might be a possible violent death if they choose it, but I   
won't let that happen, Hotaru-chan. I won't let them harm the girl I love. I   
promise you."  
  
"Ryo-chan...," she murmured as she hugged him tightly.  
  
"Hey! You know how heavy this damn thing is?"  
  
"That's why I wanted you to bring it."  
  
"HEY!!!"  
  
"Just shut up and let me get to work," the second man said. "Just get ready.  
The boy's supposed to be a tough fighter, so be on guard. He may try something   
as soon as we're in."  
  
"Let him try," the first man said confidently. "I'll kick his ass!"  
  
"Whatever," the second man replied as a low roaring sound suddenly erupted   
into life, followed by a loud scratching sound. Ryoku cautiously glanced over   
the back of the couch they were hiding behind. As he watched the door, bright   
sparks of light leaped off of the welded door from the top right corner.  
  
They were cutting their way inside. It wouldn't be too long until they broke   
through.  
  
"I still say that a little bit of C-4 placed around the frame will take that   
thing right off," the first man complained boredly. "This way is taking too   
long."  
  
"Don't you think that a loud explosion would attract a lot of undue   
attention?" the second man retored with a little bit of heat in his voice.   
"Why the hell do you think that Jed took the trouble to find this out of the   
way place in an all but abandoned ghetto?"  
  
"'Cause he's cheap dumb-ass. He would've been fine in one of those cheap   
apartments we passed about half a mile back on our way here."  
  
"And how would he be able to keep a couple of kids from being able to escape   
while he was busy trying to take care of other business in L.A.? Hire a   
sitter? Don't be stupid. Now, shut up. This's gonna take a little longer and   
I'm tired of hearing you talk."  
  
"Whatever. I'm gonna go smoke, so just hurry it up, all right?"  
  
After the first man left, it was quiet except for the sound of a blowtorch   
blazing against metal. When the work was done, it turned out that only the top   
and bottom of the door was actually welded. Once those were taken care of, it   
was easy to remove.  
  
"Hey, it's done. They've gotta know we're here, so get ready."  
  
"About damn time. Let's go."  
  
The door opened and a tall silver-haired man entered with a blowtorch in his   
hand, followed by a shorter blonde man with his hair tied in a small ponytail   
at the back of his head, almost similar to Ryoku's hair style. The silver-  
haired man carelessly tossed his blowtorch to the side and cracked his   
knuckles. "Let's go find them."  
  
"Don't bother looking," Ryoku said as he stood up. "I'm right here."  
  
"And the girl?" the silver-haired man asked with a slight grin slowly crossing   
his face.  
  
"She's around," he replied nonchalantly. "But, if you want her...," he began   
as he moved in front of the couch and shifted into a fighting stance,   
"...you'll have to go through me."  
  
"Fine by me!" the blonde man said as he charged Ryoku. The two quickly   
exchanged blows as the silver-haired man watched. Hotaru quietly watched from   
behind the couch, while being careful not to be seen.  
  
'Hmm...,' the silver-haired man thought as he watched Ryoku fight. 'The boy is   
a fairly skilled fighter, even after his recent injury.' His eyes blinked in   
surprise as Ryoku managed to feign an attack to the left, then snuck through   
the other man's defenses to deliver two punches to the man's stomach and face,   
followed by a fierce kick to the throat, which knocked the other man down to   
the floor.  
  
'Incredible!' the silver-haired man thought in surprise, then frowned   
thoughtfully. 'Well, Jed did say that even he had a hard time with the boy. I   
should've realized that this would happen, since Jed's much better at fighting   
than Blondie, down there.' He smirked for a second as he turned his attention   
back towards Ryoku. 'I haven't had a decent fight for a while, but now's not   
the time for fun. We've already wasted enough time here.'  
  
"So?" Ryoku asked smugly as he turned toward the silver-haired man and made a   
taunting gesture at him. "Aren't you gonna come get some?"  
  
"I'm sure it would be a whole lot of fun," he said as he reached into his   
shirt and pulled out a gun, then pointed it at him, "but I've already wasted   
enough time here. All right, Blondie," he said to the man clutching his neck   
on the floor, "get up. You've had your fun."  
  
"My throat...," the blonde man choked out as he tried to stand up. "And stop   
calling me Blondie!"  
  
"All right," the silver-haired man shouted, making sure that his voice could   
be heard anywhere in the place. "Listen well, Hotaru Tomoe. There is a gun   
pointed at your boyfriend's head. If you don't come out in three seconds, he   
will die. Three!"  
  
"Wait!" Hotaru shouted as she jumped up from her hiding place. "Don't kill   
him!"  
  
"Aw, how disappointing," he said as he grinned slightly. "I was hoping to at   
least get to one before you came out. I just love tense dramatic situations."   
He gestured for Hotaru to move next to Ryoku so he could keep an eye on both   
of them at once.  
  
"You punk!" the blonde man growled as he punched Ryoku violently in the face,   
causing his head to snap back.  
  
"Enough!" the silver-haired man ordered. "Quit being such a sore loser."  
  
"I'm not a sore loser!" the blonde man snapped back angrily.  
  
"He kicked your ass, fair-and-square. Live with it," he replied firmly as he   
gestured for him to get on with what he was supposed to do. The blonde man   
huffed irritably for a second, then brought out two pair of handcuffs and   
snapped them on Ryoku's, then Hotaru's wrists.  
  
"We gonna leave the rest of their clothing here?" the blonde man asked. "Or   
are we gonna take it with us?"  
  
"Bring 'em," the silver-haired man replied. "We need evidence that we have   
them and sending their parents all their clothing will do nicely." He turned   
to look at Ryoku and Hotaru and smiled devilishly.  
  
Hotaru and Ryoku both shared a frightened look before the blonde man covered   
their heads with a heavy black cloth, then stuck them both on the back of the   
head to knock them out.  
  
The last thing that Ryoku could feel before blacking out was his body being   
picked up and swung over someone's shoulder like a sack of laundry.  
  
**********************************************  
  
To Chapter 22  
  
**********************************************  
  
Author's Note: No! Not again! Yet another chapter gone by and I haven't even   
finished yet! I really gotta stop doing this. Then again, how else could I   
make so many great chapters for this story. All right, now I'd better cut that   
out before I start giving myself a swelled head. ^_~ Next chapter: Jack and   
Diane start looking for Jed, while Tira starts putting all the clues together;   
a delivery is made to the Tomoe mansion; and the second attempt on Jack's life   
goes horribly wrong.  
  
Disclaimer: All original materials belong to their respective   
owners. Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi and a bunch   
of big companies. No copyright infringement is intended. This   
story belongs to Moonsong and myself, and I would appreciate   
you emailing her or myself for permission before posting it   
anywhere else. Thank you.  
  
Prologue Copyright © January 24, 2000 Moonsong.  
Other Chapters Copyright © August 12, 2000 Jason Ulloa.   
All Rights Reserved. 


	23. Chapter 22

Seeing Stars  
By Jason Ulloa  
Original story by Moonsong  
Continued with her permission.  
  
  
Chapter 22  
  
"Well, that's done and over with," Jack sighed as the police who had arrived on the   
scene left to go check out the building where the sniper had fired from. He glanced   
down at the small bandage that Diane had placed on his shoulder and moved his arm a   
little to test his arm's mobility. The bandage wasn't hindering his movement any, so   
he pulled his shirt back on.  
  
"Aw...," Diane pouted. "And here I was hoping to leer at you some more. Do you work   
out?"  
  
Tira giggled at the look on Jack's face. "Sometimes he does," she told her. "He has   
his own home-gym-thing, but he spends a lot of his time here. You'd think that this   
place was his home."  
  
"Well, I guess you have an excuse to go home then," she said, winking at him.  
  
"All right, you two," Jack said in exasperation. "That's enough joking around about   
me."  
  
"I think he's getting embarrassed," Diane said to Tira in a wisper that was meant to   
be overheard.  
  
"All joking aside," he said, giving Diane a pointed look, which she pretended not to   
notice, "I've told the police everything that I've found out last night at Juléi's   
place. They should be looking out for our friend as well, although I doubt that he'll   
be sticking around here for very long."  
  
"So, why are you after that man anyway?" Tira asked.  
  
"I've already told Jack, but there's no reason that you shouldn't know, either,"   
Diane told her. "The man I'm after kidnapped the daughter of a good friend of mine,   
along with her boyfriend. Hotaru Tomoe, age 18 and Ryoku Kino, age 19. The only   
reason that they got kidnapped was that they got in his way when he was after their   
Orange Nijizuishou crystal."  
  
"Nijizuishou?" both Jack and Tira said at the same time and glanced at each other.  
  
"Something wrong?"  
  
"You never mentioned the Nijizuishou crystals to me before," he told her, frowning   
slightly.  
  
"You never gave me the chance, Mr. I-Can-Figure-Everything-Out," she retorted.  
  
"Okay, so I jumped the gun slightly," he admitted. "But I did figure the important   
parts out, didn't I Miss I'm-A-Top-F.B.I.-Agent-So-I-Can-Do-Everything-Myself?"  
  
Diane grimaced, then grinned. "Point taken. So, what's with you two and the   
Nijizuishou crystals?  
  
"Before Erwight and Juléi were killed, they managed to steal a very valuable item   
from Juléi's former employer. The Yellow Nijizuishou crystal."  
  
"Just like in Madrid...," Diane murmured to herself.  
  
"So, our friend is after the Nijizuishou crystals?" he reasoned, to which Diane   
nodded in reply.  
  
"The Red crystal was stolen from Madrid first," she said. "Then, the Orange from   
Souichi's place, along with Hotaru and Ryoku. Now, the Yellow...."  
  
"Do you think that he's taking them by color order?" Tira asked as she started typing   
away at her computer.  
  
"I thought of that," she replied. "Only, I don't know where the Green Nijizuishou is.   
Maybe I should ask Artie to look into it."  
  
"Artie?" Jack asked.  
  
"My supervisor, Artemis D'Loire," she replied. "Why'd you wanna know? Jealous?"  
  
He wisely chose to avoid the bait, remaining silent.  
  
"Vancouver," Tira said suddenly with smug satisfaction.  
  
"Huh?" Diane said, turning to glance at her.  
  
Jack merely grinned. "Internet search, Ti?"  
  
"Bingo," she said, nodding as she began typing away again. "I have the names of all   
the locations of each Nijizuishou crystal. I've also noticed something else. There   
may be another reason why he's taking the crystals in the order that he is."  
  
"Why's that?" he asked.  
  
"For some reason, he started in Madrid," she began, but shrugged. "I don't know why,   
but that hardly matters. Anyway, the next closest crystal was the Orange Nijizuishou   
crystal in Washington D.C. and the next closest after that was the Yellow one, here   
in L.A. Following that pattern, the next one would be the Green one in Vancouver.   
Coincidentally, the pattern doesn't change, whether going by color or location."  
  
"Where's the Blue crystal located, Ti?" Jack asked.  
  
"Why do you wanna know, Jack?" Diane asked.  
  
"If we find out where the Blue crystal is located, then we can lay a trap and catch   
him before he can get to it," he explained.  
  
"I know that," she began slowly. "I thought of that, too, but I made a promise to   
Souichi that I would bring back Hotaru and Ryoku as soon as possible. I don't know   
how long it'll take for him to get the Green Nijizuishou crystal, but if there is a   
possibility that I can get him in Vancouver, then I'm going for it.  
  
"It'll take time for him to make plans, Jack. Vancouver isn't that far from here. By   
the time he's ready, I'll be there, ready to take him down."  
  
Jack nodded understandingly. "Ti, what can you give us on the Green Nijizuishou?"  
  
Fingers raced across the keyboard. "The Green Nijizuishou is owned by a professional   
racecar driver named Haruka Tenou. She was born in Japan, but she moved to the U.S.   
seven years ago to start her career. She lives in Phoenix, but she has a house in   
Vancouver where she goes during her off-season to pilot her own small plane as a   
hobby. She keeps her Green Nijizuishou here, which she inherited from her   
grandmother; both the gem and the house, that is."  
  
"Does it say where in Vancouver she lives?" Diane asked.  
  
"Hmm...," Tira murmured as she checked. "No. None of the locations given here are   
exact, but I'm guessing that it was meant that way. You know, to protect the privacy   
of others and all that."  
  
"Of course," Jack said as he frowned in thought, then grinned. "Christy."  
  
"Christy?" Diane asked.  
  
"If anyone can help us, she can," he said, turning to leave. "Ti, can you try to get   
as much info on the rest of the Nijizuishou locations as you can, please."  
  
"Wait," Diane said as she got up as well. "I'm going, too."  
  
"All right," he agreed as he opened the door. "Let's get going."  
  
**********************************************  
  
"What's up, Jack?" Christy asked as she continued to type at her keyboard, finishing   
up a report. "Heard you were fired upon at your office. No damages?"  
  
"Just a scratch," he replied off-handedly. "Nothing."  
  
"Yeah, nothing wrong with him," Diane agreed as she slapped him jovially on the   
shoulder where he was grazed. Jack winced slightly, but that was it. "See? He's   
perfectly all right."  
  
"Thanks," he muttered flatly, then turned back to Christy. She had just finished her   
report and was now saving her work.  
  
"All right, now," she said as she turned towards them and folded her hands on the   
desk in front of her. "What is it you need, Jack?" she asked. "You're here for a   
favor; I know you are. You still owe me for the last couple of favors that I did for   
you, you know."  
  
"What?" Jack said indignantly. "Don't tell me you forgot that I helped you fix your   
car when it broke down last week?"  
  
"I remember," she replied. "It held out long enough to get me to the auto shop where   
people who know what they're doing took care of the rest." Jack didn't have to glance   
over to his left to know that Diane was smirking at him, more than likely about to   
make some joke about his mechanical skills.  
  
"Okay, so let's say that I count that little favor you did for me," Christy said   
speculatively. "That means you still have one favor you still owe me. If you want, I   
can let you off on both for... say, a date?" she said, grinning playfully.  
  
"Well, if that's what it takes...," he began when Diane interrupted.  
  
"That's it?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "You just give in without negotiating?   
If that's the extent of your negotiating skills, then it's a wonder why your private   
investigation business hasn't gone flat broke yet!" At that, both women started   
laughing. Jack grimaced for a moment, then smiled.  
  
"Well, it's not like she's asking for a trip to D.C.," he replied, putting slight   
emphasis on D.C., which made Diane's laughter cut short. "As for the date," he   
continued, glancing toward Christy, "it'd have to be at one of those very fancy   
restaurants. You know, where you have to dress very formal. Dresses and tuxes and the   
like." Christy's laughter quickly cut short as well. She hated dressing formally and   
he knew it. After all, she was the one who told him so. "How's that for negotiation?"  
  
Diane gave him a level look. "It'll pass," she said dryly, then grinned slightly to   
herself. 'I think he's learning....'  
  
"All right, you win," Christy relented. "No date. Well, I'll just add it to your   
favor tab."  
  
"Thanks," he said gratefully.  
  
"I take it that this's on her behalf?" she asked, nodding toward Diane.  
  
"Yes," Diane said, nodding. "I need you to find out where someone lives."  
  
Christy frowned as she turned toward Jack. "I thought that you and I had words about   
that guy...."  
  
"Not him," he told her.  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"I need to find out the Vancouver address of one Haruka Tenou," Diane said urgently.  
  
"Vancouver?" she repeated, blinking. "Miss Silver, we have the addresses of mostly   
people who live in L.A. in our data files. Do you have any idea of how hard it is to   
get the permission to access the files of a police station in another city, let alone   
another country!"  
  
"Please, Christy," Diane begged. "I really need you to find out. This is very   
important to me."  
  
Christy looked at her with a flat, stony expression for a minute. "This is about him,   
isn't it?" she asked, almost accusingly. "I thought I told you to leave off, Jack.   
That man is a suspected murderer. Dangerous. You must forget about him and leave   
finding him to the police...."  
  
"I can't do that," Diane said quietly, then sighed to herself. "I was hoping that I   
wouldn't have to do this...." Without another word, she reached into her shirt pocket   
and pulled out a small leather wallet-like case and presented it to Christy.  
  
Jack had never seen it before - he felt a little foolish about swallowing her story   
without asking for proof; some detective he was - but, there was no doubt as to what   
he was looking at. Christy stared at Diane's badge in disbelief for a long time, then   
finally looked back up at her.  
  
"Why?" she asked quietly, then glanced toward Jack. "You knew, but why didn't you   
tell me?"  
  
"I only found out recently," he told her as Diane retrieved her badge and put it away.  
  
"He couldn't tell you because I asked him not to," she said with a professional tone   
that Jack had never heard come from her before. He supposed that it was the federal   
agent in her speaking. "Officer Taylor, the man I'm after is not only a suspected   
murderer, but he is also responsible for the kidnapping of two victims; Hotaru Tomoe,   
age 18, and Ryoku Kino, age 19. I believe that I know where he may be going, but I   
need to know that address in order to get to him. Will you please help me?"  
  
"I see," Christy said quietly as she took all that in. "I'm sorry, Miss Silver, but   
unless I have permission, I can't get into the Vancouver police department's data   
files. If you ask Chief...."  
  
"I can't let anyone know that I'm a federal agent, Christy," Diane cut in.  
  
Christy frowned in thought for a moment. "Why Haruka Tenou? Is she involved somehow?"  
  
"Not in the way you think," Jack told her. "We need her address because she has   
possession of a valuable gemstone that our suspect is after. The Green Nijizuishou   
crystal. He has already acquired the Red, Orange and Yellow Nijizuishou crystals, and   
we believe that there is a pattern to his acquisitions. According to what we have   
discerned from the suspect's M.O., he is going after each crystal in order of their   
color."  
  
"And that means that the Green crystal is next," Christy finished.  
  
"So, is there anyway you can help us?" Jack asked. "You're the resident computer   
genius here. You're the only one I can trust with this.   
  
"I would love to help, Jack; you know I would," she said regretfully. "However,   
things have changed since you left five years ago. The network security is much   
tighter now since we were hacked into a year and a half ago. It was a real mess. If I   
try to hack in myself, I'd be caught for sure no matter how good I am. I'm sorry, but   
I can't help you. Not in the way you want, at least."  
  
He was halfway out of his seat when a sudden realization hit. Did she mean what he   
thought she did? One look at Christy's face confirmed it.  
  
"Well, thank you anyway, Christy," he said as he stood up all the way. Christy   
reached over to write something down on a notepad before she stood up as well and   
reached out to take the hand that he was offering out to her.  
  
"I'm just sorry that I couldn't be of any more help," she said regretfully as she   
shook his hand.  
  
"That's all right," he replied as he turned to leave. "Anyway, I'll be sure to get   
back to you on that favor I owe you."  
  
"You owe me two favors, Jack," she told him, winking. "I don't think that that shoddy   
patch job you did on my car was worth it, after all."  
  
"What?!?" he exclaimed, frowning. "Hmph. Fine then. I owe you for two."  
  
"Damn right," she said with a satisfied nod, then smiled at Diane. "And don't worry.   
I won't tell anyone."  
  
"Thank you," Diane said as she followed Jack out of the building.  
  
'Good luck,' she thought as she turned back to the computer and started on her next   
report.  
  
**********************************************  
  
Diane sat in the passenger seat of Jack's car and stared out of the window for a long   
time, thinking. "You know, Jack," she said, breaking the silence, "for a moment   
there, you sounded a lot like a cop when you were talking with Christy."  
  
"It's kind of hard for me not to," he replied without taking his eyes off the road.   
"Not when I'm there, at least."  
  
"Well, I suppose old habits are hard to break," she added.  
  
"Sometimes they are," he replied quietly.  
  
She turned to look at him and noticed that his expression was completely neutral, as   
if he was trying to hide or avoid something. "Something wrong?" she asked concernedly.  
  
"Hmm? Oh, it's nothing," he said, shaking his head slightly.  
  
Diane didn't think it was nothing, but she looked back out her window, letting the   
matter drop. If he didn't want to talk about it, fine.  
  
The beeping of a cell phone being dialed caught her attention. "Ti?" she heard him   
say after a moment. She turned around to see him holding his cell phone in one   
hand... and a piece of paper from a notepad in the other. It was crumpled up as if it   
had been folded up....  
  
"Listen, Ti," he continued. "Normally, you know that I don't approve of you doing   
this, but...." He paused as he grimaced slightly. "Yeah. That. Listen, I.... Yes, I   
know you can do it by yourself, but...."  
  
"What are you talking about, Jack?" she asked questioningly.  
  
He went on as if he didn't hear her as his grimace deepened. "Yes, I know you've   
never been caught before, but.... Tira! Listen, I know how good you are and all that,   
but you WILL use the information that I've got from Christy, you hear me?"  
  
Diane smiled to herself as she put two and two together. 'So, Miss Tira Jenner is a   
computer hacker as well as a secretary.'  
  
"Good," he sighed in vexation. "Ready? IP Address: 210.48.9.117; Subnet Mask:   
255.255.255.0; Gateway: 210.48.9.1; Domain: vcpd.gov.ca; Login: fordatser; Password:   
MapleRed486. The database password is: cannuck."  
  
She blinked as he read off all that technical jargon, trying to figure out what any   
of that nonsense meant, but she couldn't make any sense of it. Apparently, neither   
could Jack, but he nodded, confirming what Tira was reading back to him.  
  
"That fast?" he asked, blinking in surprise. "Well, all right then, but you be   
careful, all right? The information may be legit, but that doesn't mean what you're   
doing is. Good, I'll see you when we get there." With that, he hung up.  
  
"So, how long did Tira say that it would take her to hack into the Vancouver police   
department's database?" Diane asked, grinning.  
  
"Hmm?" he said as she turned toward her, then realized that she must've figured it   
out from the conversation he was having with Tira. "She says that she'll have the   
database downloaded and be out of their system before we get back."  
  
"Wow," she said, impressed. "That's pretty good, considering how close we are."  
  
"Then again, she thinks we're still at the station," he said with a pleased smirk.   
"She's cocky when it comes to things like this, so I prefer to keep her from hacking   
as much as possible. Of course, I can't stop her altogether, so I don't try, but I do   
try to limit how much she does it."  
  
"Not to mention the fact of how handy it is at times like this," she added.  
  
"Don't get me wrong," he said defensively. "I rarely ever ask her to hack for me and   
she knows that. I only ask when it is extremely important, like now. She knows where   
I stand on hacking, but she also knows that sometimes it's necessary to use methods   
that you dislike if the need is strong enough."  
  
"Yeah, I know what you mean, Jack," she replied understandingly. "I've had to resort   
to methods like that to get a job done. I'm not proud of it, but that's the way it   
had to be." She was quiet for a moment, thinking again.  
  
"Don't worry about Ti," he said after a while. "I know her. She's probably already   
suspected that I intentionally called halfway there and is probably almost done as I   
speak. Like I said, she's cocky, but she is cautious. She'll get the job done."  
  
**********************************************  
  
Artemis looked up from the book he was reading and reached over toward the end table   
sitting next to the chair and picked up his cell phone. One glance at the screen   
showed him an unfamiliar phone number, but the area code was the same as the one   
Diane had been calling him from. It was more than likely her calling to give him an   
update. Hopefully it was good news this time.  
  
"D'Loire here," he answered.  
  
"Hey, Artie," Diane said in a slightly eager voice. Perhaps she did have some good   
news. "How're things on you're end? The official side of it, I mean?"  
  
"Nothing still," he replied, resisting the urge to sigh. "No phone calls, no demands,   
nothing. Professor Tomoe and Mrs. Kino are both slowly going out of their minds with   
worry. Right now, I'm here with Miss Olinite trying to keep both of them from   
breaking down, but it's been hard."  
  
"That bad?" she asked. "Is Souichi there? Maybe I can talk to him."  
  
"He's shut himself in his lab right now, working, or so he says. Miss Olinite says   
that he can't concentrate at all and that's worrying her."  
  
"Oh. What about Mrs. Kino?"  
  
"She's finally cried herself to sleep," he said tiredly. "The poor woman had been up   
for almost three days, insisting that she had to stay awake in case the kidnappers   
finally decided to call. She needed to know that her son was still alive. I'd almost   
considered giving her something to make her sleep, but it's unnecessary now. I   
suppose that it's because she's a widow and her son is the last of her family now."   
He finally did sigh. "Any good news on your part, Diane?"  
  
"I now know where our man is going to strike next," she told him. "We've discerned   
that he's going for the Green Nijizuishou crystal in Vancouver. Right now, we're   
trying to find out exactly where in Vancouver he will strike."  
  
"Wait. 'We'?" he asked.  
  
"You remember that I've hired a private investigator?" she reminded him. "He's been   
helping me in this. Right now, we've acquired a copy of the Vancouver police data   
files which has the address in question. However, due to the fact that they use a   
program written exclusively for Canada's police departments, we need a program that   
will convert the file into something we can read. As I speak, we're searching for   
such a program, or barring that, a copy of the program itself. It shouldn't take no   
longer than a day or two, at most."  
  
"Well, that's better news than we have. I'm sure Professor Tomoe and Mrs. Kino will   
appreciate some good news for a change. They need some measure of hope to keep from   
wasting away any more than they already have. You'll be sure to keep me informed?"  
  
"Of course, Artie," she assured him. "Please let Souichi and Mrs. Kino know that I'm   
doing all I can to find Hotaru and Ryoku, okay?"  
  
"I will," he agreed. He was about to hang up when Kaye entered the room holding an   
unopened box in her hands. She had a very disturbed, yet determined expression on her   
face, as if there was something in the box that she didn't want to see, but knew she   
had to. "What's wrong, Miss Olinite?" he asked, getting up out of the chair as he   
started toward her.  
  
"This...," she began, then swallowed nervously. "This... came for Professor Souichi   
Tomoe and Mrs. Sakura Kino a few moments ago. There's no return address on it." She   
glanced toward the direction that the lab was in, as if she could see Tomoe through   
the walls. Her gaze slowly drifted toward the direction where Mrs. Kino was sleeping,   
then turned back to Artemis. "I don't want to get them yet," she told him. "It's   
better if I know first. That way I can soften the blow for them... should this be   
what I fear it is."  
  
"Artie, what's going on?" Diane asked concernedly on her end of the line.  
  
"Hold on, Diane," he said as he nodded understandingly to Kaye. She handed him a   
small, plain letter opener and stepped back as he quickly cut through the tape and   
opened the flaps, revealing the contents of the box.  
  
"Clothing," he said as he reached in and pulled out a small violet dress and frowned   
in thought. However, Kaye's frightened gasp quickly cut off his train of thought. A   
sudden realization hit him then. "This clothing.... These are what Hotaru and Ryoku   
were wearing before they were taken, aren't they?" he asked, turning to look at Kaye   
for confirmation.  
  
"They must be," she breathed fearfully. "I know that dress. It's Hotaru's favorite.   
I remember Professor Tomoe telling Hotaru that he thought the color matched her   
eyes...." She trailed off as she wiped away some of the tears that were threatening   
to run down her face.  
  
"Bastard...," Diane growled fiercely. "I swear... if I find that bastard... I'll kill   
him!"  
  
He set the dress aside and continued to bring out more clothing. "Shoes, socks,   
jackets, pantyhose...." He paused as he brought out what must've been Ryoku's   
clothing. His pants had a long dark bloodstain running down the left leg with a long   
slit in it to match. His shirt was worse. There was a lot of blood on the shirt,   
soaked in mostly on the top half of it, and there was a hole in the right shoulder   
that was most certainly a knife wound.  
  
"Well, at least they still have their underwear," Kaye said in a tone that showed how   
hard she was fighting her tears. "I suppose it's better than being completely naked."   
She was fighting them very hard, since she felt that she was supposed to be helping   
to keep Tomoe from breaking down. It wouldn't help much if she herself broke down.  
  
A scowl slowly formed on his face. It seemed obvious that they were serving two   
purposes at once by doing this. They wanted to send a strong message to him and   
anyone else concerned: we have them and we don't mind if we have to kill them. The   
other reason was that it would be easier to hold the two children if they had no   
clothes, since they would feel even more helpless if they were fully clothed. Whoever   
was responsible for this action was definitely good at playing mind games.  
  
A small sliver of white amongst the brown of the cardboard caught his attention. It   
was a folded sheet of paper. He unfolded it and read it aloud.  
  
"Halt your search for them. If you do not, you will not have to search for them any   
longer, for we will send them to you... in boxes, just like this one. Many boxes."   
The words were printed out so that tracing the sender by handwriting was not an   
option. He doubted that there would be fingerprints on the paper, either. This person   
was definitely a crafty, sick bastard.  
  
"Diane...," he said finally, after a long period of stunned silence has passed. "I   
have no choice. I must halt the search to keep the children alive. My hands are tied,   
so you're now my only hope of finding them. I'm still unable to help you, but I know   
that won't stop you. It's all up to you, now. Find Hotaru and Ryoku. I'm counting on   
you."  
  
"I promise you that I'll find them, Artie," she said solemnly. "No matter what it   
takes, I swear I'll find them."  
  
**********************************************  
  
Diane sighed as she purchased a pair of plane tickets for herself and Jack. She could   
still recall every word of that conversation she had with Artie. Poor Hotaru. Poor   
Ryoku. She couldn't afford to waste any time.  
  
As she finished her purchase, she left to go meet Jack outside at his car. He was   
responsible for making reservations for a hotel. She was partly surprised that he   
insisted on going with her, especially since this wasn't his fight. He didn't know   
Hotaru or Ryoku. Why was he so set on going with her?  
  
For the beginning of the drive back, Jack was silent, as usual. It seemed that he   
didn't talk much when he drove. She used the silence to think about the reason that   
he might he had for coming with her. One reason did come to mind....  
  
"Hey, Jack," she said, breaking the silence. "Why did you decide to come with me? I   
mean, the contract between us is done and I've paid my bill in full. There's no need   
for you to help me anymore than you already have."  
  
He was silent for a moment before he finally answered. "Maybe a guy just wants an   
excuse for being with a beautiful woman," he said grinning.  
  
"What?!?" she exclaimed, staring at him in disbelief.  
  
"Oh, don't tell me that you don't believe me," he said, feigning hurt. "After all   
we've been through?"  
  
"I hardly think that this's a time to be joking around," she said, frowning.  
  
"What?" he asked, grinning even wider. "Diane Silver, the great tease, can't take a   
joke? I'm disappointed."  
  
"Okay, you made your point, funny man," she growled, folding her arms. "Now, stuff   
it."  
  
"As you wish, O great F.B.I. lady," he replied with a small mocking bow.  
  
"Whatever. Now, can you please answer my question?"  
  
He nodded as the smile disappeared from his face. "You remember what happened to me   
yesterday, don't you?"  
  
"I thought as much," she said, nodding. "So, until we find our man, he'll be after   
you."  
  
"I know his type," he said, frowning. "Vengeful. I've dealt with enough of them as a   
cop to know his type. That attack wasn't the last. Since I've positively identified   
him, he'll be after me for as long as it takes to kill me. The only way I can stop   
him is to do it myself, rather than wait for someone else to do it for me."  
  
She nodded understandingly. "I'm sorry I got you caught up in this, Jack," she said   
regretfully.  
  
"Don't be," he replied. "I was caught up in this before I met you," he told her.  
  
"I still feel as though it's my fault."  
  
"It's not," he said certainly. "The blame lies with Juléi and Erwight. If they hadn't   
stolen the Yellow Nijizuishou, then I wouldn't've been caught up in this." He smiled   
at her reassuringly. "But, I'm not mad at them. Actually, I should be thanking them.   
After all, thanks to them, I got to meet you. All things considered, I think it's   
worth it."  
  
She stared at him in astonishment for a moment before smiling to herself. "That's...   
nice to hear, Jack," she said finally, then grinned mischeviously. "By the way, I   
think you're improving with your teasing, but you're still lacking. Then again, with   
me as your tutor, how can you not improve?"  
  
He blinked as he glanced at her from out of the corner of his eye. 'Well, I suppose   
it's still worth it,' he thought patiently to himself as the car pulled to a stop and   
Diane opened her door to get out....  
  
**********************************************  
  
Jed frowned as leaned back into his seat, letting the back tilt until his eyes were   
level with the bottom of the car window. He had rented the car using one of his   
numerous aliases, and now he was parked just opposite of Terrance's office, waiting.   
No sniper rifle this time. It would be quick and quiet, thanks to the pistol he had   
fitted with a silencer. One shot was all that he would need this time. His prey would   
not be lucky a second time.  
  
After a long wait, he saw his car pull up. He watched as that woman he saw him with   
yesterday came out of the car, followed by him as well. He raised his pistol and   
aimed it for the door to his office. When he opened the door to go inside, he would   
have him. Already, he was reaching out for the doorknob....  
  
**********************************************  
  
Tira sighed as she browsed through directory after directory. After learning that the   
owner of the Yellow Nijizuishou crystal never bothered to call the police after   
learning that his precious gem was stolen, she had had this nagging suspicion about   
him. Jack had allowed her to hack into the Vancouver police department's system, but   
he never did tell her that she couldn't continue to hack. Sure, that didn't mean that   
he meant that she could, but that was just semantics. Besides, there was just   
something about that one fact that kept bugging her. She had to know for sure, so once   
again, she was in Stanton Aeronautical's system, searching the president's personal   
files. There was a LOT of security, but she was good. Very good.  
  
"Oh?" she said to herself as she spotted a file that caught her interest. "Project:   
Ginzuishou, huh? Well, don't mind if I do." She downloaded the file and logged out   
of the system. Easy. Now, all that was left was to access the file....  
  
"Damn," she growled as she tried to open it. "So, password protected, eh? We'll   
see about that." A few moments later, she cracked the password and opened the   
file. "Hmm.... Oh, my God," she murmured as she read. "You've gotta be kidding   
me.... Jack! I've gotta warn him and Diane!"  
  
The sound of a car pulling up caught her attention. One look out the window confirmed   
that it was Jack's car. She wasted no time in jumping out of her seat and rushing   
toward the door, only to trip over the power cord to her computer and fall facefirst   
to the floor. "Ow...," she muttered as she glanced back toward her computer. The   
screen was black. "Damn," she growled, realizing that she must've unplugged her   
computer when she tripped on the power cord. Well, she had the information in her   
head, so she'd just have to tell them first and show them later. This was important!  
  
She pushed herself back to her feet and rushed toward the door. She could already   
see the knob turning. Wasting no time, she rushed through the opening door, knocking   
Jack backward into Diane.  
  
"Jack!" she shouted urgently at him just as she felt something smack her in the chest.   
The impact was so hard that she was knocked off her feet and fell crashing into the   
floor behind her. There wasn't as much pain as there was shock, but she had to warn   
Jack. She had to....  
  
Slowly, everything turned to darkness.  
  
**********************************************  
  
To Chapter 23  
  
**********************************************  
  
Author's Note: The return of the cliffhanger! Mwahahahaha!!! ^_^ Sorry for taking so   
long, but my work schedule's gone completely outta wack, so I've been trying to   
adjust. Not only that, but I accidentally erased the first version of this chapter,   
which pretty much added insult to injury. Oh well, nothing for it but to cope... and   
write fanfiction! ^_~ Anyway, I hope this chapter - the longest one to date - is   
worth the wait for you guys. If not, well, um... please don't hurt me! -_-; Next   
chapter: the rush to save Tira's life; Darien talks with Jason; and Serena discusses   
Darien with Tanya.  
  
Disclaimer: All original materials belong to their respective   
owners. Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi and a bunch   
of big companies. No copyright infringement is intended. This   
story belongs to Moonsong and myself, and I would appreciate   
you emailing her or myself for permission before posting it   
anywhere else. Thank you.  
  
Prologue Copyright © January 24, 2000 Moonsong.  
Other Chapters Copyright © August 12, 2000 Jason Ulloa.   
All Rights Reserved. 


	24. Chapter 23

Seeing Stars  
By Jason Ulloa  
Original story by Moonsong  
Continued with her permission.  
  
  
Chapter 23  
  
It all happened so fast. One moment, he was opening the door to his office; the next, he   
was kneeling down beside Tira as he tried to stem the flow of blood from the gunshot wound   
in her chest.  
  
It was just like before.  
  
"Jack, the ambulance is on its way," Diane informed him as she hung up the phone. "How's   
Tira doing?" she asked worriedly as she moved closer, though she stayed back a short   
distance so she wouldn't get in his way.  
  
"She's bleeding badly," he replied quietly, his voice distant as he concentrated on saving   
Tira's life. "Did you see who shot her?"  
  
"No, but I do know this: whoever did was aiming for you," she told him in a voice flat with   
controlled anger.  
  
"I know," he whispered bleakly.  
  
"It had to have been from that car that sped away after the shot was fired," she continued.   
"I'll bet you anything that the same person who was shooting at us a few days ago did this."  
  
"I know," he murmured as he closed his eyes painfully. "Dammit, Ti," he whispered in a   
voice filled with anguish, his tightening throat strangling the words as tears threatened   
to fall from his eyes. "Why'd you have to be the one to take the bullet? It was meant for   
me, so why'd it have to be you?"  
  
"Jack...," Diane began sympathetically as she reached out for him.  
  
"I should've realized that this might've happened!" he growled as he pounded the floor   
beside Tira in frustration.  
  
"It's not your fault, Jack," she told him firmly. "You couldn't've known about that   
ambush...."  
  
"That's not what I was talking about!" Jack snapped as he glared up at her. Diane almost   
flinched at the look of pain in his eyes. "Tira... she wanted so much to be like her   
father," he continued faintly as his gaze turned dismal again. He was about to continue   
when the sounds of an ambulance arriving cut him off. Diane immediately rushed outside to   
guide the paramedics to where Tira was lying.  
  
"Don't worry, Ti," Jack whispered softly, "help is here. I won't leave you, so don't you   
dare leave me."  
  
**********************************************  
  
Jack and Diane followed the stretcher and the medical personnel as far as the operating   
room, where they could follow no further. From there on, they would only get in the way.   
All they could do now was wait.  
  
"Don't worry too much, Jack," Diane told him as they sat down in the waiting room. "Tira's   
a strong young woman. She'll definitely pull through."  
  
"I can only hope so," Jack replied in a slightly haunted voice. "This scares me, Diane," he   
told her. "Everything that's happening... it's too similar. I couldn't take it if it all   
turns out the same as before."  
  
"I don't understand, Jack," she said concernedly as she placed a hand on his. "What are you   
talking about? What's got you so spooked that you look like you're about to have a   
breakdown right here and now?"  
  
He stared at her for a long time as she stared right back, blue eyes staring unflinchingly   
into brown eyes. A long time passed before Jack relented with a sigh.  
  
"It happened four years ago," he began quietly. "I was still part of the L.A.P.D. back   
then. I had been with the L.A.P.D. for four years since I joined up at the age of 18, eight   
years ago. For those four years I spent as a cop, Lee Jenner was my partner and my best   
friend.  
  
"Lee taught me a good deal about the job, seeing how he had been a cop for over 15 years.   
During the first few weeks that I started working with him, I once asked him why he wanted   
a rookie like me for a partner. He told me that he felt that since he was planning on   
retiring in a few years, he wanted to pass down his experiences and knowledge as a police   
officer to someone who would make good use of it. I asked him how he knew that I would be   
the type of person he wanted and he told me that it was instinct. He also said that a good   
deal of police officers develop their instincts after a time and that I might, as well." He   
paused as he shrugged. "I didn't believe him at the time, but now...." He trailed off as he   
shrugged again.  
  
"Anyway, we became very close friends. Lee introduced me to his family; Tasha, his wife,   
and Tira, his daughter, whom you already know." A very small smile curved his lips at the   
memory. "I first met Tira when she was 10 years old. I remember it very well, since Tira   
actually invited me to her birthday party, which would be in a couple of weeks." He   
chuckled this time. "I think it was because she had a crush on me when she first met me.   
Don't tell her I told you that, because she'd kill me if she finds out."  
  
Diane giggled. "I won't tell her, but it would be a sight that I'd love to see."  
  
Jack grinned, but it slowly faded as he continued. "Lee and his family pretty much accepted   
me as a part of the family. I suppose it was because Lee knew that I was on pretty bad   
terms with my father, as in I pretty much avoided him since the death of my mother, but I   
don't want to go into that."  
  
Diane silently nodded and urged him to continue.  
  
"Anyway, two years after I joined the force, Lee's wife died in a fatal car accident. A   
drunk driver sideswiped her and forced her into a head-on collision that mercifully killed   
her on impact. I'd hate to think of that kind woman suffering before she died. After that,   
Lee devoted all of his time between his job and caring for Tira with little time for   
himself. At the same time, Tira started fussing over her dad as if she was trying to fill   
in her mother's shoes. I did my best to help both of them through the ordeal and I'd like   
to think that I helped them a great deal through their grief."  
  
Jack glanced up at the clock and grimaced. An hour had passed. Was Tira all right? He hated   
waiting in situations like this.  
  
"So, I suppose we're now up to what happened four years ago?" Diane asked.  
  
He nodded. "It was during a botched kidnapping attempt. The would-be kidnappers did such a   
lousy job that we didn't even need to call in your people. The only thing that they had   
going for them was the fact that they were armed.  
  
"Lee and I were part of the group that were chasing down the car that the kidnappers were   
fleeing in. After a long chase, a tire blew out on the kidnappers' car. They skidded to a   
stop, took positions behind the car and started shooting. It was long and drawn out, but we   
managed to take them down.  
  
"Afterwards, a group of us - including myself and Lee - rushed forward to apprehend them.   
After they were cuffed, I made the mistake of thinking that everything was over and done   
with. That was the worst mistake that I had ever made in my life and the price of that   
mistake was more than I was ready to pay.  
  
"One of the kidnappers was so desperate that, even while cuffed, he rushed one of the cops,   
drew the officer's gun, pointed it at the closest cop in his sight and fired. The target...   
turned out to be me.  
  
"Lee tried to warn me as the kidnapper drew the gun, but I reacted to late to get out of   
the line of fire. I was saved when Lee shoved me out of the path of the bullet, but that   
only put him in the bullet's path instead. He was struck in the back; the bullet went   
straight through his heart.  
  
"As the others restrained that bastard, I pulled my gun and pointed it at him, ready to   
blow his head off for what I knew had to be a fatal wound," Jack continued with a dark   
expression on his face. "The others were about ready to try to restrain me, but Lee called   
out to me, telling me to put my gun away. I did and rushed to his side as I tried to help   
stop the flow of blood, even though I knew it was useless. With his last breath, he asked   
me to look after Tira for him. He died in my arms just as the ambulance arrived.   
  
"For a long time, I kept thinking to myself that this shouldn't have happened. It wasn't   
fair; Lee was getting ready to retire the following year and he had a daughter that loved   
him. I felt that I should've been the one to take the hit, since I didn't have a family   
like Lee did. To this day, I curse myself for failing to keep an eye on those kidnappers.   
If I wasn't so careless, I would've seen the shot coming and Lee would still be alive.  
  
"After I told Tira of her father's death and after the funeral, I started struggling with   
social services over the custody of Tira, since they didn't really believe that a single,   
22 year-old male cop could take care of a 15 year-old girl. Even Tira spoke up, saying that   
she would rather have me as her guardian than some stranger. I almost lost her, despite the   
many witnesses of Lee's spoken last wishes, but I just barely managed to win custody of   
her."  
  
"So...," Diane said after a long period of silence, "that's how it is between you two. Why   
Jack, I would've never figured you to be the father of a 19 year-old girl. I mean, you're   
so young and all."  
  
Jack gave a small snort of laughter. "Thanks for trying to cheer me up, Diane. I appreciate   
it."  
  
She nodded. "I see why the way she was wounded affected you the way it did. It was bad   
enough that she was shot, but being shot by taking the bullet for you... even by   
accident...."  
  
"For months after Lee's death, I couldn't stop thinking about it," he continued quietly.   
"I had nightmares almost nightly. It was affecting my policework to the point where I was   
becoming inhibited. I wouldn't even draw my gun anymore for fear of starting a firefight   
and hurting any more innocent victims. That was when I quit the L.A.P.D. However, when I   
tried to look for a new line of work, I soon realized that even though being a policeman   
would be too dangerous for me with my state of mind at the time, I still wanted to work in   
law enforcement. I wanted to make a difference - which was my reason for becoming a cop in   
the first place; albeit a childish one. So, with these thoughts in mind I decided that I   
would become a private investigator. The job wasn't too dangerous and I could certainly   
make a difference, even though it would be on a much smaller and less grandious scale.  
  
"You know," he said with a sigh, "Tira had always wanted to be a policewoman. Even more so   
after her father introduced me to her. After Lee died, I tried to discourage her from   
becoming a policewoman, but she wouldn't listen. She was so set on law enforcement as a   
career that I couldn't dissuade her. She said that she wanted to carry on her father's   
legacy.  
  
"I couldn't bear the possibility of losing Tira, but I couldn't force her to change her   
mind," he continued. "However, once I quit the force and became a private investigator,   
all my worrying became moot after she started asking me to let her work with me in my   
private investigation business. I was reluctant until she said she'd help in any way, even   
if she had be my secretary. I figured that she felt that I really needed her help and that   
since I was now her surrogate father, she had to fuss over me as if I was her real father.  
  
"At times, I would wonder if I did the right thing letting her work for me as my secretary.   
After all, she tended to try to help me in her own way by either hacking or even going on   
stake outs without my knowing," he said with a combination grimace and fond grin. "I did   
manage to get her to stop going on stake outs, but hacking is another matter. I figured   
that if I let her have that, then I wouldn't have to worry about other things."  
  
Jack paused as he looked at the clock again. "I'm sorry, Diane," he said apologetically.   
"I've been rambling on for almost two hours now and...."  
  
"It's all right," she told him gently as she put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You're   
worried. You needed to do something to keep you mind from dwelling on that worry. Tira will   
come out of this just fine. Trust me."  
  
"I hope so, Diane."  
  
**********************************************  
  
Hours passed before Jack and Diane were finally approached by one of the medical personnel.   
They both got to their feet as Jack turned almost frantic eyes toward the doctor.  
  
"How is she?" he asked, steeling himself for the worst. Diane took his hand and squeezed   
encouragingly.  
  
The doctor gave them both a soothing smile. "She's a very strong young woman, Mr.   
Terrance," she told him calmly. "She's made it through the worst part of the surgery   
proceedure. All she needs now is to rest. She's lost a great deal of blood and it will be   
a while before she is fully recovered." She paused for a moment as she considered him and   
Diane. "You two are her parents, I assume?"  
  
"No," both Jack and Diane exclaimed at the same time in surprise. "Not exactly," Jack   
continued while Diane looked slightly abashed. "Diane is just a friend. I am Tira's legal   
guardian; her parents are deceased."  
  
"I see," the doctor replied, nodding. "Well, Miss Jenner is a very lucky young woman as   
well. The path of the bullet just barely grazed her heart since the bullet had deflected   
off of one of her ribs and passed between her heart and her right lung. If the bullet was   
even one millimeter off, she could've died as the bullet would've passed through either her   
heart, her lungs, or - if by some chance it missed both - from loss of blood due to the   
bullet making both entry and exit wounds in her chest and back. We are very fortunate that   
this is not the case."  
  
"But, she IS all right, isn't she?" he asked hopefully. "She won't have any lingering   
effects due to the extreme loss of blood or anything else?"  
  
"Nothing by the way you're thinking, no," she reassured him. "She'll be perfectly fine with   
a long rest."  
  
"Thank you very much," he told her in a very relieved voice that reflected his expression.   
"Can I go see her? Please?"  
  
"Yes, but you can't stay too long and you can't make her overexert herself," the doctor   
said firmly. "She requires a great deal of rest, especially after the ordeal she has been   
through."  
  
"I promise I won't do anything to harm her," he told her solemnly as he turned to follow   
the doctor with Diane following behind.  
  
The room that Tira was resting in was currently occupied only by her; the other bed was   
empty, but at least she got the bed next to the window - she liked looking out the windows   
of tall buildings. The dark-skinned young woman was asleep with the blanket pulled up to   
her armpits, since her arms were on top of the blanket. She was shirtless and had an IV   
needle in each arm.  
  
"Hey, Ti," Jack said gently as he knelt down before the bed and took Tira's hand as Diane   
stood beside him and gazed down at Tira. "I'm glad to see you're doing better. I knew you   
wouldn't leave me. After all, if you were gone, who'd take care of me?  
  
"Listen, Ti. Diane and I have to go soon. We're getting ready to leave for Vancouver. I   
promise you this, Ti: whoever did this will pay dearly for it. I swear it. No one shoots my   
daughter and gets away with it." With that, Jack stood up and turned to leave while Diane   
watched him leave with a concerned, yet thoughtful expression on her face.  
  
"Hello, Tira," she said as she took Tira's hand after Jack left the room. "It's me, Diane.   
I just wanted to promise you that I will look after Jack for you while you're recovering.   
I'll take good care of him, so don't worry about a thing. Rest now, Tira." She bent down   
and gently kissed her on her forehead before she turned to leave.  
  
"We'll be back to see you again soon. I promise."  
  
**********************************************  
  
"Cut!" Amy shouted, grinning widely. "Very good people! That'll do it for today."  
  
"All right!" Tanya shouted as she hopped out of the bed, pulled off the false IV patches   
and slipped into the shirt that one of the grips had tossed her. "Time to get outta here!   
Hey, Serena!"  
  
"Yeah?" she replied, glancing over her shoulder at her.  
  
"Hey girl, I wanna talk to you for a bit," Tanya told her as she walked up to her and put   
an arm around her shoulder as she headed for the exit. "I wanna know everything that   
happened."  
  
"Happened?" Serena repeated quizzically.  
  
"Oh, don't act like you don't know!" Tanya laughed as the two left the building.  
  
"I'd ask, but I don't think I'd really care for the answer," Jason said as he walked up to   
Amy.  
  
"I know what you mean," Amy replied with a laugh.  
  
"Jason, do you mind if I talk with you for a minute?" Darien asked as he walked up to them.  
  
"Um, sure," he replied. "You don't mind waiting for a little bit, do you, Amy?"  
  
"Of course not," she said with a smile as she gently touched him on his arm before she   
turned to leave. "I'll be waiting outside."  
  
"Thanks," Jason replied as he turned to see Darien smirking at him. "So, what's up?" he   
asked, folding his arms and tilting his head inquisitively.  
  
"I don't mean to sound nosy, Jason, but I'm curious as to whether or not you and Amy are   
really an item now," he told him.  
  
Jason gave him a neutral stare for a short time. "I'll give you the benefit of the doubt   
and assume that there's a very good reason behind this question," he replied flatly. "I'd   
hate to think that you're wasting my time for inane gossip."  
  
"No, that's not why I'm asking," Darien told him seriously. "I'm curious as to how you two   
got together, especially with all the gossip that seemed to be hanging over Amy's head.   
Before you say anything else, let me tell you that there is a very good reason why I'm   
asking you this."  
  
Jason nodded skeptically. "All right, then. That gossip that was 'hanging over Amy's head',   
as you put it, was what had kept us apart for so long. I foolishly believed in them, even   
though I wanted to be with her. Amy was worried about how that Hollywood gossip might   
affect me and my feelings for her, even though she didn't care about what Hollywood had to   
say about her."  
  
"So, how'd you get around all that?"  
  
"We simply gathered our courage and confronted each other with our feelings for one   
another," he replied, grinning. "Well... it wasn't as dramatic as I make it sound, but I   
think you get the idea."  
  
"Yeah," Darien agreed, nodding.  
  
"I think it's almost the same between you and Serena," Jason added, starling Darien. "Oh,   
come on, Darien!" he continued, laughing. "You don't think that somebody who is going   
through pretty much the same thing can't see the signs?"  
  
"Am I that obvious?" he asked, frowning in chagrin.  
  
"Not really," Jason admitted. "However, when you and Serena are acting together, there is   
a kind of chemistry between you two. It's very strong and, at times, it almost seems like   
it can pull you in. It's that strong. Not many people can notice things like that, but I   
can."  
  
"Do you really think that Serena feels that way about me?" Darien asked intently and almost   
eagerly.  
  
"Perhaps," he supposed. "I don't want you to take what I've told you too literally, Darien.   
After all, these are just my impressions and assumptions. Remember the old saying about the   
word assume. 'It makes an ass out of you and me.' If you're not careful, you could end up   
making an ass out of yourself... or worse."  
  
"I see," Darien said contemplatively. "Well, thank you, Jason. I don't want to keep you and   
Amy waiting, so I'll see you tomorrow. You'll help me on those stunts and martial arts   
moves you taught me yesterday morning, right?"  
  
"Certainly. See you tomorrow, Darien."  
  
"See you tomorrow, Jason."  
  
**********************************************  
  
"So spill it, Serena," Tanya insisted as she sat across from Serena at a table in a   
Japanese restaurant. She took another bite of her dinner, Teriyaki chicken and beef with an   
assortment of steamed vegetables on white rice, and stared eagerly at the blonde-haired   
actress. "Come on! Please!!!"  
  
"All right! All right, already!" Serena sighed as she finished her mouthful of sashimi.   
"Calm down already!"  
  
"So, how was your first 'date' with Darien?" she asked with an eager grin stretching across   
her face. "Don't spare any details. You know I love details."  
  
"Well, I decided to go back to that one place that Shields took me for lunch the other   
day...," she began.  
  
"You mean, you two have already been on a date before?" Tanya asked, her eyes wide with   
pleasant surprise.  
  
"It wasn't exactly a date, Tanya, remember?" she corrected quickly. "Shields was just   
treating me to lunch. Anyway, I really liked the place because Andrew, the owner and   
Darien's good friend, managed to arrange it so that Shields and I could eat in peace   
without attracting any unwanted attention from the other patrons."  
  
"How?"  
  
"By setting us up in an area of the arcade known for being the ideal place for... well,   
couples." She paused and scowled at Tanya as the other woman grinned insufferably. "Well,   
it did keep them from bothering us."  
  
"So, you two decided to do it again, but this time, for real," Tanya concluded.  
  
"Not exactly," Serena replied. "Last time, there wasn't very many people there. When we   
went this time, there was a big crowd. Since we knew we'd be recognized for sure...."  
  
"You both opted for disguises, right?" she finished knowingly.  
  
"Yeah. Well, Shields and I went into the restaurant and started to pretend that we were a   
couple of businesspeople checking out the arcade. You know, investors, video game vendors   
and all that."  
  
Tanya nodded. "Okay, so then what happens?"  
  
"We both start playing our improvised roles as Ms. Forrester and Mr. Morrison, and it   
turns out that Shields is a pretty decent improv actor, as well. After we get seated and   
Andrew gives us his spiel, he goes off and leaves us to our date.  
  
"While we're waiting for our food, we start talking. You know, Shields can be quite the   
flatterer," Serena added as an afterthought as she took a bite of her food and chewed   
it reflectively.  
  
"What'd he say?" Tanya asked, almost leaning forward over the table in anticipation.  
  
"He said that the reason that I feel as though I can never achieve perfection is that   
it isn't because I can't reach it, but because once I do reach perfection, I always   
find ways to improve upon it."  
  
"He said that?!?" she gasped, eating up the words. "Ooh, that's... like... so...."   
She trailed off as she sighed dreamily.  
  
"To be honest, that pretty much sums up how I felt at the time," Serena admitted.  
  
"Ooh, now I'm jealous," Tanya said playfully. "You've got such a cutie like Darien   
who sounds like he's really into you."  
  
"Oh, come off it," the blonde actress said dismissively, but Tanya persisted.  
  
"No, really," the chocolate-skinned actress continued seriously as she looked Serena   
in the eye. "I mean it. He doesn't care about your social status. He likes you, Serena   
Moon, the woman," she said, pointing at her with emphasis, "not Serena Moon, the famous,   
award-winning actress."  
  
Serena stared down at her sashimi for a good minute or so, mulling over what Tanya said.   
"I certainly hope so," she said with a sigh. "I couldn't stand it if he turned out to be   
just like all the rest. I don't think I can go through it again."  
  
"I'm certain that he's different, Serena," Tanya said firmly and certainly.  
  
"I get so lonely sometimes, Tanya," she murmured faintly. "You've seen how it's been   
affecting me. Within six months I've gone from one of the most respected actresses in   
Hollywood to one of the most feared. You've seen how a good deal of the crew tends to   
avoid me. They're afraid of me, or rather my temper.  
  
"It's slowly been turning into a downward spiral; I'd get angry for being lonely, then I'd   
lash out at everyone, only to end up feeling depressed and even more lonely later on. I'd   
then get angry again, lash out, then grow even more depressed and lonely.  
  
"Shields was the first person to actually try to be nice to me, despite what I've done to   
him. Everyone else would only be nice to me in order to keep me from getting mad at them."   
She paused as she sighed sadly. "You know, I never did apologize to him for forcing Osaka   
to fire him from the 'White Rose' shoot."  
  
"You could always apologize to him the next time you see him, Serena," Tanya pointed out.  
  
"I know," she replied, as she looked up at her. "Tanya, I think I...." She paused   
uncertainly.  
  
"You might be falling for him?" Tanya said, her expression almost hopeful, but not too   
eager.  
  
"I guess so," Serena supposed as she pensively picked at the last of her sashimi.  
  
"I think you are," Tanya told her, smiling lightly. "I honestly believe that you two could   
make a very nice couple. After all, the way you two perform together... you complement each   
other perfectly. It's almost as if you two were made for each other."  
  
"You don't necessarily have to go THAT far," Serena said, grimacing lightly.  
  
"All right, but I still say you two work very well together," she relented, then finished   
up her dinner.  
  
"We are professionals, Tanya," Serena replied flatly as she finished up her dinner as well.   
"Even if Darien is less experienced than we are. I would expect nothing less from him."  
  
Tanya gave Serena a long look for a few moments. "You really have come a long way from your   
old opinions of Darien," she said, her expresion showing some slight disbelief.  
  
"Shields has come a long way as well," she replied as she gathered up her purse. She took   
out a five-dollar bill, placed it next to the check and stood up. "Let's go, Tanya. I feel   
tired and I wanna go home. It's been a long day."  
  
**********************************************  
  
To Chapter 24  
  
**********************************************  
  
Author's Note: Sorry if I kept you in too much suspence with the length of time it took me   
to get to this chapter. I really did mean to finish this up sooner, but things just kept   
coming up and.... Oh, well. It's done now. Anyway, things are going great for Serena and   
Darien now, but that's about to change as a certain someone finally shows herself. Next   
chapter: Serena's apology; G.Q. discusses the plans for his final revision; and Raye finds   
out about Serena and Darien.  
  
Disclaimer: All original materials belong to their respective   
owners. Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi and a bunch   
of big companies. No copyright infringement is intended. This   
story belongs to Moonsong and myself, and I would appreciate   
you emailing her or myself for permission before posting it   
anywhere else. Thank you.  
  
Prologue Copyright © January 24, 2000 Moonsong.  
Other Chapters Copyright © August 12, 2000 Jason Ulloa.   
All Rights Reserved. 


	25. Chapter 24

Seeing Stars  
By Jason Ulloa  
Original story by Moonsong  
Continued with her permission.  
  
  
Chapter 24  
  
Serena gave it a lot of thought last night. The date. Tanya's words. Her feelings. His   
feelings. All of these things tumbled through her mind endlessly for hours as she tried to   
make sense of it all. And now, this morning, she was standing outside the studio building,   
going over everything that had happened and going over her feelings for Shields.  
  
Her confession to Tanya about her loneliness surprised her now that she thought about it.   
She didn't want to admit her loneliness to herself, yet she freely admitted it to Tanya   
without thinking about it. Then again, Tanya was almost like a sister to her, so maybe it   
wasn't so surprising after all.  
  
She now knew that Tanya was trying to fix her up with Shields. She watched her play   
matchmaker often enough, so she knew what to look for. She was constantly mentioning his   
name around her and talking about him with her just as often. Two telltale signs that Tanya   
Cambridge, matchmaker, was at work. She couldn't blame her, though. Tanya had been worried   
about her ever since Seiya left her almost a year ago.  
  
She had been dating Kou Seiya for almost two years before that. It was the longest and most   
serious relationship she had ever been in. She loved the man deeply and would've married   
him if he asked. Well... that was in the past. Another woman - some red-haired whore whose   
name she didn't even want to think about - stole him away from her. Damn that....  
  
It took her a few minutes to calm herself. It was probably because of that reaction to the   
very thought of that woman that drove away the first couple of potential boyfriends. After   
she had finally gotten over Seiya's abandonment, she found that she had already earned   
herself a reputation for having a short temper. That, in turn, made it very hard for her to   
get a date, since a lot of people were slightly apprehensive of her new-found temper. Of   
course, this didn't help her with her temper. In fact, it made it worse. Now she would bite   
people's heads off for things that normally she would casually dismiss with an indifferent   
shrug.  
  
Months after Seiya's betrayal with... her, her temper and her loneliness began a symbiotic   
relationship with each other. Her loneliness would feed her temper which would contribute   
to her not getting a boyfriend. That, in turn, would make her more lonely, which would   
continue to feed her temper... and the cycle would continue ad nauseam. Sure, she tried to   
play it off like she meant to be that way to scare off any arrogant, would-be suitors, but   
that was way back when she was still trying to get over Seiya. She had even managed to   
convince Tanya to some extent, although she felt bad about that.  
  
Darien Shields.... He was the first person to brave her temper and treat her like a woman   
and not like a walking maelstrom, ready to break whatever got in her way. Sure, he was as   
nervous around her as the others at first, but he gradually began to grow braver around   
her.  
  
The reason why he acts that way toward her was still a mystery to her. He, of all people,   
should have the most reason to hate her. She yelled at him, insulted him, got him fired,   
and so on. He should want to kill her or something, but not only does he not want to see   
her miserable, he feels the exact opposite. He actually CARES about her.  
  
Before, she regarded Shields with utter contempt and disregard. He was just another nobody,   
plain and simple. When he landed the role opposite to her, she was furious. A nobody...   
playing opposite of a big star like her?!? But she had no choice. However, once she saw him   
perform.... It was amazing. For someone with little to no experience with roles of the   
caliber he was performing in, he acted as if he had always done roles like that. There were   
almost no flaws in his performances whatsoever. She was impressed, which was a hard thing   
to do.  
  
With his success in performing, she noticed that his confidence slowly began to grow as   
well. He was no longer apprehensive around her, but he was still respectful toward her. It   
was almost like the way a junior would speak to a senior co-worker. Well, in a way, perhaps   
it was appropriate.  
  
What started the change in attitude toward him was when he first took her to his friend's   
place for a quick lunch away from anything and everything that had to do with the actress   
Serena Moon. There, she could be just another ordinary woman. No stress, no fans, no   
worries. It was a priceless gift that he had given her and he was more than willing to   
share it with her whenever she wanted. It was also the first real act of caring and   
kindness that anyone had shown to her. Furthermore, he expected nothing in return; all he   
wanted was for her to be happy. Not because it would make her ease up on him. Not because   
he was trying to earn her favor. Because he wanted her to be happy. Because he cared about   
her.  
  
However, after the first 'date' with Shields, her feelings toward him changed dramatically.   
She saw a side to him that she had never seen before. She was almost sure that it was a   
side of him that he had never shown anybody else, which made it all the more special. It   
was the first time in such a long time that she truly had fun and enjoyed herself. She   
found herself looking forward to the next time she could do that with him again. And the   
next. And the next. Work was more enjoyable as well, because of him. Perhaps Tanya had hit   
it on the head; perhaps she WAS falling in love with him.  
  
The feelings that she was starting to have for Shields was similar to those she had for   
Seiya, whom she knew she had loved. But, there were different feelings as well. There was   
something there that she had never felt for another man. It slightly terrified her because   
she didn't know what it was, but it was also slightly exhilarating at the same time. There   
was only one thing that held her back, though. She didn't know him all that well. How did   
he feel about her? Sure, Tanya thought that he might have feelings toward her, but she   
wasn't sure. Exactly how deep was his feelings for her? She wasn't about to risk her heart   
on another Seiya. She didn't think she could survive it.  
  
"Something wrong, Serena?" she heard a voice ask behind her. She turned around to see Amy   
giving her a concerned look. "You look like you've got a lot on your mind this morning."  
  
"Oh, hello, Amy," she said absently as she turned toward the director.  
  
Amy blinked in surprise. Serena had always refered to most people by their last names, so   
it was a surprise to hear her call her by her first name. Perhaps there was something on   
her mind. She was about to ask when Serena spoke again.  
  
"How are you and your boyfriend doing?" she asked as turned away and stared skyward   
thoughtfully. "Jason... was his name, right?"  
  
"Yes, Jason Evans," Amy replied, nodding slowly. "We're doing very well; thank you for   
asking." She paused for a moment as she gave her a curious look. "Why do you ask?"  
  
"I don't know, really," Serena admitted as she looked at Amy again. "I've been doing a lot   
of thinking lately, though, and I guess I was just curious about how the newly formed   
couple was fairing. By the way," she began slyly, "Tanya tells me that you and Jason have   
already become very... intimate very quickly." She grinned widely as she saw the blue-  
haired director blushing. "Oh, so it's true? Wow, I never would've expected it from you!   
I mean, you don't seem like the kind of woman that has sex on the first date."  
  
"All right, already!" she exclaimed as her face turned a brighter shade of red. "Must we   
discuss this? My having sex with Jason isn't exactly a topic for public discussion."  
  
"Right. Sorry."  
  
"If I may ask, how are you and Darien fairing?"  
  
"What?" Serena asked as she blinked in surprise.  
  
"Don't evade," Amy said firmly. "You asked me about Jason, so I'm asking about you and   
Darien."  
  
"Me... and Darien?" she asked with a slight frown.  
  
"Don't play ignorant, Serena. If you've been paying attention to the rumors floating around   
the set, you would've known by now that most of the crew believes that you and Darien are   
a couple now." Her expression softened as she smiled encouragingly. "Can I ask you a   
personal question, Serena?"  
  
"What is it?  
  
"I know that things have been hard for you lately," she began softly. "I think, in a way,   
I might've been in almost the same situation you've been in."  
  
"Be that as it may, I know that your situation wasn't as similar as you might think it   
was," Serena said flatly.  
  
"You may be right," Amy agreed. "Nevertheless, I want to ask you this: How do you feel   
about Darien?"  
  
"How do I feel?" she asked, frowning questioningly. "Why do you ask?"  
  
"Don't answer my question with a question. Please answer the question. If you cannot answer   
it, or if you don't want to answer it, I won't push you."  
  
Serena was quiet for a long time. "I'm not very sure of it myself, but I think...."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"I think that... I might... be falling in love with him," she finished in a rush. "I just   
don't know."  
  
"Are you unsure because of the whole Kou Seiya thing that happened to you a year ago?" Amy   
asked. It was the kind of break-up that made the top stories of entertainment news shows   
and periodicals, although it was something that she had a feeling that Serena would've   
preferred to have kept quiet. "I can understand that you would want to avoid another event   
like that, but you can let things like that inhibit you. You'll lose out on the love you   
could've had otherwise."  
  
"Amy...."  
  
"Listen. I almost let my worry over how gossip would affect my relationship with Jason   
prevent me from pursuing that relationship. Once I threw away that worry and actively   
pursued my feelings for him, I found that not only did he not care about gossip, but he   
would always be there for me, regardless of whatever anybody said about him, me, or us as   
a couple. I now have his love, which I never would've had if I let my worries continue to   
hinder me.  
  
"If you think you might be falling in love with Darien, pursue those feelings and find out   
for certain. Don't let your apprehensions stop you. Remember, Darien is not Seiya."  
  
Serena turned around again and stared down at the ground. "I know he's not Seiya," she   
replied. "I just hope he never does become another Seiya."  
  
"He won't. I'm almost certain of it."  
  
"How can you be so certain?" Serena asked pointedly. "Can you see into the future?"  
  
"No, but I can tell that that kind of selfishness isn't in his personality," Amy countered.   
"Give him a chance. Give your heart a chance. You may just find love, like I did with   
Jason."  
  
Serena sighed as she gave her a slow smile. "Thanks, Amy. I appreciate this."  
  
She smiled gently at Serena as she placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'm glad I could help."   
She paused for a second, then nodded as if she was answering a question to herself. "If I   
may say so, you've become a much better person since you've been seeing Darien. You don't   
get angry as often as you used to."  
  
Serena glanced back at Amy as the blue-haired director turned to go inside. She gave some   
thought to the last few words that Amy told her. She might've been right; now that Shields   
had taken away some of her loneliness, she wasn't as irritable as she used to. She didn't   
really care about all that, though. What she did care about was whether Shields actually   
had feelings for her the same way she was starting to have feelings for him.  
  
At any rate, today was as good a day as any to find out.  
  
**********************************************  
  
Darien was standing by the craft services table, nursing a cup of coffee as he mulled over   
the conversation that he and Jason had yesterday. The stuntman had some very interesting   
observations that help to alleviate some of the reservations that he was having as of late.   
  
Jason said that there was a kind of chemistry between himself and Serena that he could   
sense whenever they acted together. A strong chemistry. Well, to his untrained eye, he felt   
that his acting performance seemed to complement her's very well. His complete mental and   
emotional transformation into the character Jack Terrance was the perfect counterpart for   
her training and experience in professional acting. But all of this was just professional.   
Were there any real feelings for him, Darien Shields, from her, Serena Moon? Or, was it   
just the acting emotions of the character Diane Silver for his character, Jack Terrance?  
  
He had already asked the actress out on one date. Sure, she had fun and enjoyed herself,   
but that wasn't enough for him. He could do that with any friend, but he wanted more. The   
only indication that he actually had to support the hope that she might return his feelings   
for her was that one moment when she kissed him on the cheek and called him by his first   
name.  
  
That one kiss.... He wanted more; no, needed more. But, would it happen again? He prayed   
that it would, but he wanted her lips not to touch his cheek, but his own lips.  
  
He may've been bold enough to finally ask Serena out on a date, but he didn't want to go   
too far. After all, she didn't like overconfident people, especially overconfident actors.   
What to do...?  
  
"Here you are, Shields."  
  
"Serena?" he said as he turned around to face the blonde actress. "Good morning."  
  
"You, too, Shields," she replied amiably. "Do you have some time? I wish to talk with you   
in private." She gave him a teasing grin. "And away from the craft services table, as well."  
  
He chuckled to himself as he finished off his coffee and tossed the paper cup into the   
trash bin beside the table. "Certainly, Serena. Lead the way."  
  
Serena led Darien toward her trailer, opened the door and gestured for him to follow her   
inside. As soon as he stepped inside and closed the door behind him, he took a look around.   
It was well-kept inside; no mess whatsoever. All of her makeup was placed neatly on her   
vanity and all of her wardrobe clothing was neatly kept on hangers, clean and without any   
signs of wrinkles.  
  
She motioned for him to take a seat in one of the chairs while she took a seat in the chair   
in front of her vanity. "I must tell you something, Shields," she began quietly. "This   
isn't going to be easy for me to do, so bear with me."  
  
"What is it, Serena?" he asked earnestly.  
  
"I know that it's something that happened in the past and that anything I say now won't   
change anything, but I want to apologize for my behavior on the 'White Rose' set. I had no   
call to force Osaka to fire you like that." She paused for a second as if to gather herself   
for what she had to say next. "Can you forgive me for what I did to you back then...   
Darien?"  
  
He sat there for a moment as his mind raced. It was almost like an opportunity had just   
opened up for him. He had to do this just right. One mistake could blow everything, but for   
what was at stake, he had to go for it.  
  
"Serena...," he began softly as he stood up and walked up to her, then kneeled down beside   
her chair. "You don't have to ask me for forgiveness. As far as I'm concerned, I should   
thank you for what you did."  
  
"Thank...," she began in astonishment. "Why should...?" She was cut off as he placed a   
silencing finger on her lips.  
  
"Please, let me explain," he said as he looked earnestly up into her eyes. She nodded   
silently and gave him a look, urging him to continue.  
  
"At first, being fired from my job at the 'White Rose' set did hit me hard," he began.   
"However, the manner in which I was fired was partly responsible for the reason I was hired   
to play the role I have now. This is one of the three reasons why I am grateful to you for   
what you did.  
  
"Since I've come to work here, I've met and worked with people whom I never thought I would   
have a chance to work with considering my previous job status. Some of those people - Amy   
Anderson, Tanya Cambridge, Melvin Van Holst, Jason and Lita Evans, and Molly Osaka - I now   
consider my friends. This is the second reason why I am grateful to you for what you did.  
  
"Finally... there is you," he said as he reached out and took her hands in his. "At first,   
you were cold to me, but as I worked with you and got to know you, you slowly warmed up to   
me. I have a great respect for you as an actor and as a woman and I consider working   
alongside you to be a great honor. This is the third reason why I am grateful to you for   
what you did." He paused as he visibly gathered himself for what he wanted to say next.  
  
"There is more?" Serena asked as her breath seemed to catch in her throat.  
  
"Yes," he said with a firm determination, although his voice seemed to tremble slightly.   
"When we perform together, I can almost feel as though it's more than just us acting as   
professionals. I know that we haven't been working together for a very long time, but to me   
it feels as though I've always worked with you. We complement each other that well."  
  
"Yes...," she said as he paused to gather his thoughts. "I think I know what you mean...   
Darien. For the longest time, I have never worked with anyone who balances me as well as   
you do. I don't know if it's because of natural ability or not, but it doesn't matter to   
me anymore. Nor does the fact that you're probably going to become something of an   
overnight star because of this movie," she added. "Maybe you deserve it because of your   
abilities. But, this I do know for certain: There is no one I'd rather have playing   
opposite of me."  
  
'Yes, Amy was right,' she thought to herself. 'He is no Kou Seiya. I have nothing to be   
afraid of.' She swallowed as she stared down into Darien's brown eyes. 'I'm going to do it.   
And heaven help me if I'm wrong....'  
  
'I might as well dive right in and say it,' Darien told with some slight trepidation. 'Even   
if she doesn't return my feelings, I can still try to win her over. At least she'll know   
where she stands with me. Well, here I go....'  
  
"Darien...," Serena began almost hesitantly.  
  
"Serena...," Darien said at the exact same time as they both said the exact same thing in   
perfect unison.  
  
"I love you."  
  
**********************************************  
  
"So, here you are, my blue-haired beauty," Jason said as he snuck up behind Amy and hugged   
her from behind. "I've been looking for you everywhere."  
  
"Oh?" she asked, as she turned her head around just enough so that he could bend down and   
kiss her without too much discomfort. "Well, you've found me now."  
  
"I know," he said as he released her, but kept one arm around her shoulders. "I wanted to   
let you know that G.Q. sent me to find you. He, Melvin and Molly are going over the final   
script revision. He said that he wanted to get your input on some of the key changes that   
he wanted to implement."  
  
"All right, then. Let's not keep them waiting."  
  
**********************************************  
  
There was complete silence in the trailer for almost five minutes as Serena and Darien   
merely stared at each other in complete disbelief. Both minds were in complete shock at   
what had just occurred.  
  
"You... love me?" they said, still in unison.  
  
Darien was the first to speak after that. "Yes, Serena. I love you. Your strong spirit and   
perfect beauty have stolen my heart. I know that you have been lonely in the past. I want   
to be the one to end that loneliness."  
  
"You...," she murmured as a small smile started to spread across her face. "You were the   
first person who wasn't nice or kind to me just because they were afraid of my temper. You   
cared about me as a woman and not as a temperamental actress. You love me as me, not as   
a famous award-winning actress." All the pain and sadness that she had held inside since   
Seiya left her was now coming out as she began to cry. "All this kindness and caring that I   
don't deserve...."  
  
"Shh...," Darien said as he stood up and gently pulled her up to her feet as well as he   
embraced her tenderly and slowly rocked her back and forth to ease her pain. "No one ever   
said that you don't deserve happiness, Serena. You deserve to be happy just as much as any   
ordinary woman and I plan on doing whatever I can to make you happy."  
  
"Darien...," she murmured as her crying slowly subsided and she looked up into his eyes.   
She slowly closed her eyes and leaned forward, meeting him halfway as they both met in a   
kiss. It was a deep, passionate kiss that lasted for a very long time as Serena let herself   
melt into his arms. She moaned slightly as she felt her loneliness and misery wash away as   
she drank in the kiss like a person dying of thirst. Her pulse was racing faster than she   
had ever felt it before. She needed this... needed him.  
  
After what seemed like an eternity, they finally ended the kiss. "That was...," she said   
in a breathy whisper as she waited for her pulse to slow down. "Wow."  
  
"Yeah...," he murmured in a tone just as breathless. "Wow, indeed."  
  
They were just about to indulge in a second kiss when a knock at her trailer door   
interrupted them. "Serena, are you in...," Tanya began as she opened the door and walked   
in, then halted as she took in the scene. "Holy...! Oh, wow! Darien and Serena! You go,   
girl! You go, boy!"  
  
"Tanya...," Serena muttered in chagrin as she grimaced and shook her head. Darien just had   
an embarrassed look on his face, but neither one was backing away from the other.  
  
"Oh, did I interrupt anything... interesting?" she asked, smiling extremely wide.  
  
"As a matter of fact, yes, you did," Serena said in a mock-angry voice. "Now, if you'll   
excuse us, we'd like to get back to what we were doing."  
  
"Oh, sure thing!" Tanya said, nodding as she backed out of the trailer. "I'll... just   
talk to you later, then. I'll just be sure to leave a 'Do Not Disturb' sign on the door   
for you two. Have fun!" With that, she closed the door behind her.  
  
"Now...," Darien said as he smiled down at her. "Where were we?"  
  
"Let me give you a hint," Serena said as she leaned into another kiss.  
  
**********************************************  
  
"Here we are," Jason announced as he and Amy walked into the conference room. G.Q.   
was there waiting for them, along with Melvin, Molly, and Lita.  
  
"So, you have the final revision ready for us to review?" Amy asked as they all took   
seats around the big table.  
  
"I've already gone over the changes with Molly and Melvin, but I wanted to get your   
input as well before I make this revision final," G.Q. told her. "I also wanted to have   
Jason and Lita here so they can go over how to coordinate how they want to do these   
new stunts as well as changes to already existing stunt scenes."  
  
"All right then, what do you have for me, G.Q.?"  
  
"First, there are very few scenes that should be redone for greater effect," he began   
as he pointed out each of the scenes in question. "I have kept all of the original   
dialogue of the scenes that have already been shot in place, mostly because there is no   
need to change them. However, there have been a lot of changes after the Nijizuishou   
scene in Vancouver.  
  
"Some of the Tokyo scenes have been kept as is, but I've added some scenes and changed a   
few more. As for the Hong Kong scenes, I've made a very big change there. Instead of   
having Jed just take the crystal and leave, I'm having Michiru Kaiou confront Jed and   
try to stop him. I've debated on whether or not to kill her, but I've finally chosen to   
have her live, but get seriously wounded, almost like Ryoku did.  
  
"Now, as for the Sydney scene, do you have any objections to what I have written here,   
now?" he asked as he handed her his newest copy of the script.  
  
Amy grinned to herself. Considering Serena's current feelings for Darien, she knew that   
the blonde actress would have no objections at all to that scene. In fact, she would   
probably be all too willing to do it. Her grin widened slightly. She might even demand   
to do the scene over and over again until they 'get it right'.  
  
"No, but I do have a suggestion to make. Instead of a far shot and panning away, how   
about we do a close shot, but with just enough lighting to make silhouettes."  
  
G.Q. nodded thoughtfully. "Not a bad idea. I'll change that right now." He wrote a few   
words down on his copy of the script and crossed out a few others. "Now, as for Hotaru   
and Ryoku, I've decided that, instead of having the two kids rescued, I'd have Ryoku   
try to fight his way out along with Jack and Diane. That would set up a three-part   
final confrontation at the end of the movie: a firefight between Diane and Jed, a fight   
between Jack and Zed - Blondie, in case you don't remember - and a martial arts battle   
between Ryoku and Mel - the silver-haired man. I think it'll prove very interesting."  
  
Jason glanced at the script over Amy's shoulder, then glanced over at Lita. "What do you   
think, Lita?"  
  
"I took a quick look through the script while you were out looking for Amy," she replied.   
"Some of these stunts are easy enough, but I think we can jazz some of them up a bit.   
Hey, you wanna go over some fighting techniques with Darien and talk with the kid who'll   
be doing the fight scene for Ryoku?"  
  
"Sure. I think I have something in mind for those scenes, but I wanna go over them with   
those two, just to see what they're capable of. If I can teach them a little more, I   
might be able to bring the fight choreography up a level or two. I've found that the more   
complex the fight choreography, the more visually interesting it is."  
  
"Good. Any questions or comments about the rest of my changes?" G.Q. asked.  
  
"No, I think that about does it," Amy said. "Melvin? Molly?"  
  
"We've already given G.Q. our comments and approval," Molly told her.  
  
"So, this is it?" Melvin asked eagerly. "The final revision? We have our final script?"  
  
"After I put in the changes, yes, it will be final," G.Q. replied with a nod. "I'll have   
the blue final revision finished for all of you by tomorrow."  
  
"Excellent," Melvin said happily. "G.Q., we all appreciate the good work you've done on   
this script. Thank you."  
  
"Not a problem," he replied with a grin. "By the way, I hope you don't mind if I stick   
around to watch the rest of the movie being made. I don't have any other projects at this   
point in time and I'm very interested in seeing how this particular movie turns out."  
  
"I have no problem with it," Amy replied. "Melvin?"  
  
"I'm fine with it if you are," he replied with an indifferent shrug.  
  
"Thanks," G.Q. said with a grin. "Well, now that we're done here, how about we go finish   
up this movie?"  
  
"Sounds good to me," Lita said as she stood up. "Let's go." Everyone else stood up and   
followed her out of the conference room.  
  
**********************************************  
  
To Chapter 25  
  
**********************************************  
  
Author's Note: Okay, I know I said that I'd bring Raye back into the story in this chapter,   
but this seemed to be a good a place as any to end the chapter. On another note, it looks   
like I've brought Serena and Darien together sooner than I thought I would. Oh, well. I   
guess now is as good a time as any. Just to let you all know, I don't plan these chapters   
ahead of time. I just sit down and write whatever comes to mind. It's almost like I'm   
watching the story unfold as I write it. It certainly makes for an interesting fic, don't   
you think? Next chapter: Jack and Diane travel to Vancouver; Jed makes plans for his next   
aquisition; and Raye finds out about Serena and Darien.  
  
Disclaimer: All original materials belong to their respective   
owners. Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi and a bunch   
of big companies. No copyright infringement is intended. This   
story belongs to Moonsong and myself, and I would appreciate   
you emailing her or myself for permission before posting it   
anywhere else. Thank you.  
  
Prologue Copyright © January 24, 2000 Moonsong.  
Other Chapters Copyright © August 12, 2000 Jason Ulloa.   
All Rights Reserved. 


	26. Chapter 25

Seeing Stars  
By Jason Ulloa  
Original story by Moonsong  
Continued with her permission.  
  
  
Chapter 25  
  
"So, everything's all right?" Jack asked over the phone. There was a pause. "Well, when she   
does wake up, can you let her know that we're in Vancouver now?" Another pause. "We'll try   
back sometime later today, so if she wakes up soon, please let her know." Another pause.   
"Yes. Yes, thank you. I really appreciate this. Goodbye." He hung up the phone and turned   
to see Diane watching him.  
  
"She's still out, huh?" she asked with a sympathetic expression on her face.  
  
"Yeah," he confirmed. "She's doing fine, according to the doctor taking care of her. They   
think that she'll wake up any day soon."  
  
"That's good to hear."  
  
Jack nodded as he bent down to pick up his suitcase. "Let's get going."  
  
"From the directions I've been given, the hotel shouldn't be too far from here," she told   
him as she began to walk alongside him. "I've also asked about our racer friend. No one   
knows where she lives, though they know she lives on the outskirts of the city."  
  
"It shouldn't be too hard," he commented as he pushed open the door leading outside the   
airport, allowing Diane to exit before him as he held the door open. "After all, there   
aren't many airfields in the outskirts of Vancouver, right?"  
  
"Right," she agreed as she hailed a taxi. "Should be easy."  
  
A taxi cab pulled over just beyond where they were standing. Diane went to give the driver   
directions while Jack opened the trunk and put their luggage inside. Once he finished his   
task, he shut the trunk and climbed into the backseat on the left side while Diane entered   
from the right. Once they were inside the taxi, it sped off to take them to their   
destination.  
  
**********************************************  
  
A tickling at the back of her neck caused Haruka to frown. She knew what that sensation   
meant. Whenever she was racing, she got that sensation whenever another car was about ready   
to pass her. The reason why she was frowning was that she wasn't racing.... Well, not   
racing, per se.  
  
One of the many reasons why she chose this out of the way locale to have her home away from   
home was that it was not only close to an airfield - where she could practice her hobby of   
flying - but the mountain road leading up to her home was perfect for practicing her   
cornering techniques. It was a great way to keep up her skills during her off-seasons.  
  
Haruka quickly glanced up into her rear view mirror. Nothing. No cars following her....  
  
Wait.  
  
There was one car on the road with her. It was a good distance behind her, though. That   
didn't necessarily mean that it was following her, though. It might belong to one of her   
neighbors. Her home wasn't the only one out here in the mountains.  
  
As she drove, she kept looking back at the headlights in the rear view mirror. There was   
something about those lights that just nagged at her. She didn't know why, though. They   
were just ordinary headlights.  
  
After a few minutes of driving through the mountain road, the tickling at the back of her   
neck returned, stronger than before. Her eyes drifted back up to the rear view mirror.   
Those headlights were still there; no closer and no farther than before. She was about to   
dismiss the feeling at the back of her neck as nothing when a thought suddenly grabbed her.  
  
She knew the make and model of all of her neighbor's cars. The headlights on the car   
following her were too low and too close together to be any one of those. Still, it could   
just be someone visiting one of her neighbors....  
  
To be certain, she decided to speed up her driving by ten kilometers per hour. She could   
handle that no problem. After a few minutes of driving, she glanced up at the rear view   
mirror again. The car was still in the same position behind her.  
  
That meant that she was being followed.  
  
"So, do you think you can keep up with Haruka Tenou?" she muttered as she sped up   
significantly. Only professional drivers would be able to keep up with her, but only if   
they were familiar with the road. She knew every corner by heart. After a few more minutes   
of driving, she glanced up again, but the headlights were no longer in sight.  
  
"Later," she said with a smug smirk as she came up to the turn that led to her home. As she   
turned into the road that led home, she looked for any sign of the headlights behind her.   
She saw nothing, but she drove the rest of the way home brooding over the fact that someone   
had been following her.  
  
As she drove out of sight, Jed turned his headlights back on and grinned devilishly to   
himself as he watched Haruka's taillights disappear around the first turn.  
  
"Gotcha," he said as he turned around and drove back the way he came.  
  
**********************************************  
  
"So, any suggestions on how we're going to go about finding the guy we're looking for?"   
Jack asked as he leaned back against his bed and glanced over at Diane, who was busy   
looking through her suitcase on her own bed. They had decided on getting a single, two-bed   
room rather than separate rooms for the sake of saving money. After all, Diane didn't want   
to give poor Artie a heart attack once he sees his next credit card statement.  
  
"What else can we do?" Diane replied as she found her things, then started for the bathroom   
with some clean clothes. "We have to find out where Haruka Tenou lives and hope that we   
find her before our man grabs her Nijizuishou and takes off. If we can manage that, then we   
can keep watch for him and take him down once he tries for the crystal."  
  
"The easy part should be finding the general area where Tenou lives," Jack replied as Diane   
walked into the bathroom and closed the door behind her. "The only problem will be finding   
out where in the area she lives. After all, she's not the only person living in the   
mountains."  
  
"I know," she stated from inside the bathroom. "But that's something we'll have to deal   
with when the time comes. First things first, we need to find out where in Vancouver Haruka   
Tenou lives." The sound of the shower turning on soon filled the bathroom. "Ah, that's much   
better. Now this feels good."  
  
Jack shrugged to himself as he reached for the remote and turned on the television. After   
skimming through a few channels, he found something partially interesting and settled in   
to watch.  
  
"Hey, Jack," Diane called out from inside the shower, "I forgot the shampoo in my suitcase.   
Can you bring it to me?"  
  
He turned to glance in the general direction of the shower as he wondered how she could've   
forgotten it. He pushed himself off his bed and flipped open the top of Diane's suitcase.   
He blinked in surprise as he noticed that the shampoo bottle was lying right on top of the   
pile of clothes.  
  
"How could she forget this?" he muttered to himself as he picked it up and closed the top   
of the suitcase. "It was sitting right there in front of her." He walked over to the   
bathroom door and knocked. "I've got the shampoo."  
  
"The door's open. Can you bring it to me, please?"  
  
"You've gotta be kidding me," he muttered to himself as he turned the doorknob. "All right,   
I'm coming in." He opened the door, letting a breeze of warm, humid air pass over his head   
as he stepped inside... and halted abruptly.  
  
Diane's robe and clothes were kept in a neat pile on the sink counter across from the   
shower. The toilet was sitting against the far wall between the sink and the shower with   
Diane's towel hanging on a rack just above it. As for Diane, she was in the shower, but   
the shower door was of the translucent kind. That meant that although he could see no   
detail at all, he could see Diane behind the fogged-up shower door. Sure, the door showed   
only a vaguely human shape with blonde-colored hair, but he knew that Diane was behind that   
door, completely naked.  
  
"Great. I didn't want to have to leave the shower, dripping all over the place," she told   
him as she arched her back, stretching lazily while showing off her curves... well, as much   
as the fogged-up shower door would allow Jack to see. "Are you going to stand there and   
stare, or are you going to hand me my shampoo?" she asked in a very amused tone of voice to   
further add to her teasing.  
  
"What?" Jack said as he snapped back to his senses. "Oh, right. Shampoo." He walked over to   
the shower and handed her the bottle over the shower door.  
  
"Thanks, Jack," she said gratefully as she took the bottle. As he left and closed the door   
behind him, Diane couldn't help but smile. The poor guy was worrying so much over Tira that   
it was starting to distract him. She knew he needed another distraction to snap him out of   
it, but she wanted to have some fun with him, too. After all, flirting was just as much fun   
as teasing, but only with the right guys. She had a good feeling that he was going to be   
one of those guys.  
  
**********************************************  
  
"Cut!" Amy shouted with a very pleased grin showing on her face.  
  
"I don't remember seeing that part in the script," Melvin observed with a perplexed look on   
his face as he adjusted his glasses in bewilderment.  
  
"What part?" she asked as if she didn't already know what he was referring to.  
  
"The part where Diane stretched like that," he told her. "And that line afterwards wasn't   
in the script, either."  
  
"Oh, I don't think there's any harm in leaving that part in," she replied as her grin   
widened. "It almost adds to the scene, don't you think?"  
  
"Well...," he replied with a shrug. "If you think so, Amy, then I don't see why not. I was   
only curious as to why Serena suddenly performed a quick improvisation when she did."  
  
"I think I may have an idea...," Amy said quietly to herself as she watched Serena walk up   
to Darien and smile up at him. Apparently, she had taken her advice and confronted Darien   
with her feelings. Now, the two actors were officially a couple. She couldn't help but feel   
happy for Serena; after all, the poor woman had been lonely for way too long, in her   
opinion. Of course, she never would've given it very much thought if it wasn't for the fact   
that she was also enjoying a wonderful relationship after being lonely for so long.  
  
That reminded her that she had promised Lita that she would stay at her and her brother's   
place for dinner... and overnight, if she chose to. As she spotted Jason talking with Lita   
and Tanya out of the corner of her eye, she decided that she would choose to stay. But,   
since today was Friday....  
  
"Let's wrap it up for today! Have a good weekend!"  
  
**********************************************  
  
"So, where do you want to go for dinner?" Darien asked as he walked with Serena out to the   
parking lot.  
  
"Hmm...," Serena said thoughtfully. "What would you say to trying out one of the   
restaurants I occasionally frequent?"  
  
"You mean, one of those really expensive and fancy ones like the one where I paid that   
fifty dollar check?" he asked, raising an eyebrow in amusement.  
  
"Well, not like THAT," she ammended. "I don't eat at places like those very often anyway.   
Come with me, Darien. I'll take you to one of my favorite restaurants."  
  
**********************************************  
  
"Here we are," Serena said as she pulled up to the restaurant. "The best place to get   
Italian food without going to Italy... or New York City. The best part is that there's no   
reservations required."  
  
"That's a relief," Darien replied with a smirk. "I'd hate to have to try to bribe the   
maître d' again."  
  
"Oh, Stephan's not that bad, once you get to know him," she replied with a laugh. "It's   
just that he thinks that that's the way maître d's are supposed to act. He's really a nice   
guy when he's not in his maître d' state-of-mind."  
  
"I'll take your word for it," he replied with a shrug, then offered his arm to her. "So,   
shall we go in?"  
  
"I thought you'd never ask," she replied as she took his arm and smiled up at him as they   
both went inside.  
  
"Oh, Miss Moon!" the person at the register exclaimed in surprise. "What a surprise! It's   
been such a long time since you've last been here."  
  
"I know, Denni," Serena replied with a nod and a smile. "It's been a while."  
  
"Ooh! Who's that with you?" Denni asked with a sly grin on her face. "He's cute. Let me   
guess; your new boyfriend?"  
  
"Well... I guess you can say that."  
  
"He is?!?" Denni exclaimed with an astonished expression on her face.  
  
"Denni, this is Darien Shields," Serena said, introducing Darien to her friend. "Darien,   
this is Denise Barringer."  
  
"Just call me, Denni," she said as she extended her hand toward Darien and shook his hand.   
"So, where'd you two meet?"  
  
"Darien's working with me on a new project, Denni," Serena explained.  
  
"A new project? You mean you and Darien are acting in a new movie?" Denni asked excitedly.  
  
"It's my first role as a supporting actor," Darien explained. "I just happened to have the   
honor and priviledge to work alongside with Serena."  
  
"I'm sure it must be," Denni replied with a knowing grin, then turned to Serena. "Well   
then, should I have your favorite table prepared?"  
  
"As long as no one is using it," Serena replied.  
  
"Of course," Denni agreed. "I know you prefer being treated as just another customer. I'll   
just have to remember to bring two menus instead of one."  
  
After Denni showed Serena and Darien to their table and handed them a couple of menus, she   
left to go back to the cash register, but not before introducing them to their waitress for   
the evening. As it turned out, their waitress was newly hired two weeks ago, so she was   
surprised to find out that she was going to be serving Serena Moon, one of her favorite   
actresses.  
  
"I know that this place gets well-known actors, directors, producers and all sorts of   
people in the movie business, but.... Serena Moon!" she said in an excited rush. She looked   
down at Serena and grimaced apologetically. "I'm sorry. I know that you're probably used to   
getting a lot of adimirers and fans coming up to you and such, and that the last place you   
want to be bothered is while you're eating, so I just want to apologise for my earlier   
outburst."  
  
"That's all right," Serena said understandingly. "Just as long as you don't mess up our   
orders, everything'll be all right."  
  
"Oh, I won't mess your orders up. I assure you...," the waitress said emphatically, but   
Serena just shook her head.  
  
"I was only joking. Don't worry so much. I'm sure you'll do fine," she said calmly as she   
gave her a placating smile. The waitress nodded appreciatively and left to bring them some   
water and to give them some time to decide on what they wanted to eat.  
  
"You must come to this place very often for someone who works here to know you that well,"   
Darien commented.  
  
"Oh, you mean Denni?" Serena asked. "Well yeah, I suppose you could say that. Denni was the   
waitress who served me when I first came here years ago. She was so friendly and cheerful   
that the next time I went, I asked for her. She never bothered me for my autograph and she   
always treated me as if I was a good friend of hers who had just come to visit her. At   
first, I thought it was either because she had never heard of me, or she never recognized   
my face, but when I asked her about it, she told me that it was her policy to always treat   
every person she served as if they were her best friend or a family member. Everyone who   
comes to this restaurant regularly - like I do - knows Denni. They call her 'the cheery   
one.'"  
  
"Well, she certainly is one of the most cheerful people I have ever met," Darien agreed.   
"And it's not cheerful in an annoying way, either."  
  
"Exactly," she agreed nodding. "Which is another reason why Denni was such a popular   
waitress in this restaurant."  
  
"I suppose the reason she's behind the cash register today is because she was promoted,   
right?"  
  
"Yes. She's now the manager for the evening shift."  
  
"Are you both ready to order now?" the waitress asked after returning with their drinks.  
  
"I'd like the usual...," Serena began, but paused as she realized something. "Oh, wait.   
You're new. I forgot. I'd like the duck risotto with garlic bread and some white wine;   
a bottle of whatever you would recommend. A very good brand and vintage, if you please. I   
don't care about the price, as long as it's a good wine."  
  
"Very good choice, Miss Moon," the waitress said with a pleased grin. "And you, sir?" she   
asked of Darien.  
  
"I'll have the penne and veal ravioli in white wine sauce with garlic bread," he replied.  
  
"Very good, sir," she acknowledged with a nod of her head as she gathered the menus. "I'll   
be bringing your wine bottle and glasses shortly."  
  
After the waitress left to retrieve their wine, Serena and Darien turned back toward each   
other and stayed that way for several moments.  
  
"I still can't believe it," Darien said, breaking the silence. "You called me your   
boyfriend earlier."  
  
"I guess I did, didn't I?" Serena replied with a small blush spreading across her cheeks.   
"Well, it's true enough. After all, we admitted our love to one another."  
  
"It still seems to wonderful to be real, though," he replied with a wonderous grin. "I'm   
definitely not complaining, though."  
  
"You'd better not, otherwise I might get mad at you again," she retorted in a mock-angry   
tone of voice, then winked at him in a sultry manner.  
  
As the two began talking in earnest as they waited for their food, Raye walked into the   
restaurant. "Hello," Denni greeted from the cash register. "May I ask, how many in your   
party?"  
  
"Just myself," Raye replied.  
  
"All right, just wait a moment while I have someone serve you," Denni replied as she   
signaled out to someone who was walking past. "Just follow that gentleman," she told her as   
she pointed out the waiter approaching them. "He'll take you to your table."  
  
"Thank you," Raye replied as she went to meet her waiter. She nodded patiently as the   
waiter went on about his name and the specials for today as she sat down at her table and   
reached for her menu. After he left and after she had decided on what she wanted to eat,   
she glanced around the room as she waited for the waiter to return.  
  
There was no one of interest here. She was hoping that she would've made it on a day that a   
really famous star or someone else of such notoriety decided to eat here. After all, she   
had heard that this place had served some well-known people in Hollywood, though not often   
enough to make this place a hunting ground for people searching for autographs and pictures.  
  
As Raye's waiter returned with her water, she gave him her order. As he nodded and turned   
to leave, he turned back around as if just remembering something.  
  
"Oh, in case you might like to know, we have a really big movie star dining here today   
right now," he told her conspiritorally.  
  
"Really?" Raye asked, her interest piqued. "Who?"  
  
"Serena Moon is sitting at a table on the other side of the restaurant," he told her with a   
big grin on his face. "I was planning on getting her autograph, but Denni doesn't like us   
bothering the famous people while they eat here."  
  
"I see," she said in a less enthusiastic tone than before. She didn't want to hear about   
her since she was working with Darien, and he....  
  
"Oh," the waiter said when he noticed Raye's enthusiasm waning. "Well, I guess you wouldn't   
care to learn that she's not alone. Apparently, she's brought a date with her and...."  
  
"A date?" she repeated as her attention snapped back to the waiter. Darien had sad he had   
found someone else. Could it be...? "What did he look like?"  
  
"I don't know," he replied. "I'm only interested in seeing Serena Moon and hopefully   
getting an autograph."  
  
"Oh," she said as she looked back down at the table. "Well, thank you anyway."  
  
The waiter looked at her for a few moments more before he left to take care of her order.   
As Raye waited, the thought nagged at her continuously, growing stronger with each passing   
minute. She had a very bad feeling, though, and she desperately wanted to be proved wrong.   
However, it seemed as thought the only way to do so was to do it herself. The opportunity   
had arisen, so....  
  
She waited until her meal was served before she got out of her seat. The waiter had said   
that Serena Moon was at the other side of the restaurant, but he had neglected to say   
where. It was up to her to find out without it looking like she was sneaking around to spy   
on someone. She wasn't about to ask anyone, since they might get the wrong idea.  
  
Raye came around the first of the room dividers and took a quick glance around. The   
restrooms were over in the corner, so she could walk over toward those and not appear as if   
she was trying to scan the room for someone in particular. She made sure to stare downward   
and keep her hair strewn about her face. If Darien was here as well, he would certainly   
recognize her if she didn't hide her face.  
  
After reaching the restrooms, she took a quick scan of the room from within the restroom   
area, near the public pay phones. There were a few blonde women out there, but none of them   
matched Serena Moon's description. She needed to search the other section of the   
restaurant. Serena Moon had to be in that section since it was the only one left. She   
wasn't in the section she just checked and she wasn't in her section, so that was the only   
choice left.  
  
Raye walked leisurely back to her table since there was no need to hide in either section.   
Since she knew that Serena Moon had to be in the last section, she took some time to eat   
some of her food. After all, that was one of the main reasons why she came to the   
restaurant in the first place. After she ate some of her meal, she got up and made her way   
over to where her section of the restaurant connected with the section Serena Moon was in.  
  
As she scanned the room, her eyes snapped over to a table near the window. It was close   
enough to let the two occupants of the table see the starlit sky above while enjoying their   
meal. The blonde woman fit Serena's description perfectly. It must be her. Her breath   
caught as she looked over to the occupant of the other seat. It was, indeed, a dark-haired   
man with a similar hair-style as Darien's, but she couldn't see his face since his back was   
to her. She had to know. She needed to know if Darien had left her for Serena. If he had,   
winning him back would be an extremely hard task to accomplish, if not impossible.  
  
There. He was about to turn his head, so she needed to make sure that the man she was   
staring at was, in fact, Darien.  
  
As he turned his head, Raye had her answer.  
  
It was Darien.  
  
Raye turned around and walked back to her table in shock. As she unconsciously finished her   
dinner, the same thoughts kept running through her mind. Darien had left her for Serena   
Moon. That blonde-haired actress had HER Darien. How dare that blonde hussy steal HER   
Darien away from her! If that blonde bimbo thought that she could just take her Darien   
and expect her to just roll over and let her just because she was some bigshot actress,   
then she was very sadly mistaken.  
  
As she finished her meal, Raye angrily stormed over to the cash register, paid her check   
and left, leaving a very confused Denni to stare after her.  
  
"Have a nice night?" she called out uncertainly after the door closed behind Raye. She gave   
the door one last look before returning to her customers.  
  
**********************************************  
  
To Chapter 26  
  
**********************************************  
  
Author's Note: Now that Raye's back in the story, how will she try to interfere with Serena   
and Darien's newly formed relationship? What about Ryoku and Hotaru? There is much, much   
more to come in the following chapters of Seeing Stars. Next chapter: Darien visits   
Serena's home; dinner at the Kino's; and Raye begins to make plans.  
  
Disclaimer: All original materials belong to their respective   
owners. Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi and a bunch   
of big companies. No copyright infringement is intended. This   
story belongs to Moonsong and myself, and I would appreciate   
you emailing her or myself for permission before posting it   
anywhere else. Thank you.  
  
Prologue Copyright © January 24, 2000 Moonsong.  
Other Chapters Copyright © August 12, 2000 Jason Ulloa.   
All Rights Reserved. 


	27. Chapter 26

Seeing Stars  
By Jason Ulloa  
Original story by Moonsong  
Continued with her permission.  
  
  
Chapter 26  
  
When dinner was over - and after deciding to purchase a second bottle of that excellent   
white wine for later - Serena and Darien headed out of the restaurant and toward her car   
after exchanging pleasantries with Denni and assuring her that they would most certainly   
return again at some future date.  
  
"I have an idea," Serena said suddenly as they got in the car and closed the doors behind   
them. "I want to show you something, Darien," she told him as she started the car.  
  
"What is it?" he asked as the car pulled out onto the street.  
  
"You'll see," she said with a small, almost childish grin on her face.  
  
"So, where are we going?"  
  
"You'll see."  
  
"So, I don't get any clues?"  
  
She waited until reaching the traffic signal before she stopped, leaned over and kissed him   
on the cheek.  
  
"You'll see," she said when she sat back down and started driving again once the signal   
turned green.  
  
Darien looked at her with a small grin of his own. "I guess I can hold my curiousity in   
until we get there."  
  
"Good," she said with amused satisfaction.  
  
"Can I guess?"  
  
"What was that you said about holding your curiousity in?"  
  
"So, I lied," he replied with a shrug.  
  
"You big fraud," she laughed as she turned onto a different street.  
  
"So, are we there yet?"  
  
"Don't make me turn this car around, Shields," she said in mock severity.  
  
"Yes, ma'am," he replied with a huge grin on his face.  
  
Serena couldn't help but smile to herself as she drove. This new relationship with Darien   
made her feel so incredible. There was no more pretense, no more having to show the world a   
calm, collected visage while on the inside she was completely empty. No more having to hide   
behind the mask of professionalism, while she wanted nothing more than to just lie in bed   
for the entire day. It was pure joy.  
  
And the day wasn't over yet.  
  
"Are we there yet?"  
  
And Darien was awarded a playful smack across his left shoulder.  
  
**********************************************  
  
"Can you hand me that knife, Jason?" Lita asked as she turned from the sink and extended   
her left hand out.  
  
"Here," he replied as he turned from the stove and handed her the knife that was lying on   
the counter next to him.  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"What's on the menu tonight?" Amy asked from outside the kitchen. "Something fancy?"  
  
"With Lita, it's always fancy," Jason replied casually, which awarded him with a small   
spray of water flicked at him.  
  
"Quiet, funny man," Lita said with mock indignation as she stuck her hand back into the   
sink and under the running water. "I'll have you know that I don't always make fancy meals   
for dinner."  
  
"Right," Jason replied skeptically, but Lita ignored him. Amy giggled at the exchange.  
  
"Anyway, I thought about making a shrimp dish tonight. Stir fry sound good to you?"  
  
Amy nodded. "I'm sure whatever you make will be great."  
  
Lita turned back to the vegetables she was cleaning under the running water. They were   
rinsed well enough so she proceeded to cut up the various vegetables she had gathered.   
Jason was busy boiling the water for the shrimp to cook in first before stir frying them.   
Well, Lita would be doing that. Even though she had offered to make the entire meal   
herself, Jason had insisted on helping out. In the end, she had relented slightly; Jason   
could help her begin, but she would finish by herself.  
  
"Will this take a long time?" Amy asked curiously.  
  
Lita shook her head. "Not too long. Don't worry; once Jason's finished, you won't have to   
stand there and wait for dinner to finish. You two can go enjoy yourselves in the living   
room." She pointedly ignored the look her brother gave her as she turned back to her work   
with a great big smile. Teasing the guy was so much more fun now that he and Amy were now   
a couple.  
  
"I'll go wait there then," she said then turned to leave, but not after sending Jason a   
quick smile.  
  
"You two have really hit it off, haven't you?" she said to her brother after Amy left.  
  
"Think so?"  
  
"Oh, definitely," she continued, nodding. "So, how does it feel, finally having the woman   
you have dreamed about for so long as your girlfriend?"  
  
He turned toward the stove and looked down into the pot of water while he thought. "It's   
almost too amazing to believe," he said finally. "It's like... I'm wondering when I'm going   
to wake up and learn that this was all just a dream. A cruelly realistic dream. But, I know   
that this is real." He looked up from the pot and turned to his sister with a small, lazy   
grin stretched across his face. "I know it sounds cliché, but I suppose dreams do come   
true."  
  
Lita nodded quietly as she listened to him. She was so happy for her brother now that he   
and Amy were now a couple. They certainly seemed to be made for each other; Amy's quiet   
intelligence and serene, composed presence perfectly complemented Jason's subtle insight   
and strong presence. She only wished that they could've gotten together sooner.  
  
Silence had settled in the kitchen, accentuated by the quiet roar of the stove burner, the   
bubbling of the boiling water, and the soft crunching and wisping of Lita's knife cutting   
through vegetables and scraping against the cutting board underneath. Lita glanced over at   
Jason's quietly pensive expression and grinned slightly to herself.  
  
"So," she began, cutting through the quiet as effectively as her knife cut through the   
vegetables on her cutting board, "how was she?"  
  
Jason looked at Lita in bewilderment. "How was...?" He blinked as he tried to figure out   
what she was talking about. Lita had the immense satisfaction of seeing her brother's   
expression slowly shift from perplexity to realization to mortification.  
  
Oh, yes. Teasing him was so much fun.  
  
"How can you ask me something like that?" he asked as his cheeks slowly began to turn a   
very slight shade of red.  
  
"Just curious," she replied offhandedly, then gave him a quick, scrutinizing look. "Oh, are   
you blushing? I think you're blushing! Boy, that night must've really been something!"  
  
"Just shut up and cut your damn vegetables," he grumbled as he turned back toward the stove   
and added the shrimp to the water.  
  
"I'm done already," she told him as she watched his blush turn a slightly darker shade of   
red. "But if you don't wanna talk, maybe Amy wouldn't mind," she added with a laugh. "I'm   
slightly curious as to what she'd have to say about you."  
  
"Lita!!!"  
  
"What? Afraid of what she'll tell me?" she asked sweetly.  
  
"You're not serious, are you?" he asked weakly.  
  
"No, but I sure had you going, didn't I?" she said, laughing at his intense discomfiture.  
  
"You have a twisted sense of humor," he said flatly. "You know that?"  
  
"Don't be so upset," she said, shaking a finger at him and winking. "Just because I had you   
going like that...."  
  
"Oh?" Jason said, suddenly grinning. "And what would you have done if I had reacted   
differently?"  
  
Lita blinked. "Huh?"  
  
"Maybe you weren't joking," he began as he turned off the stove burner and walked past her   
toward the doorway. "Maybe you really did want to know. What would've happened if I not   
only told you 'how she was', but went into specifics?" He gave her a very wide, almost   
catlike grin. "Would you like me to go into specifics?"  
  
She smirked back and shook her head. She should've expected this would happen. Now that he   
had found a way to turn her teasing against her, she had gone from the teaser to the one   
being teased. She knew that he wasn't bluffing; if she she yes, he would certainly go into   
specifics. Not that the specifics wouldn't be interesting to listen to, but the fact that   
it was her brother made the idea uncomfortable. If she was hearing from a male friend,   
though... well, that was no problem.  
  
"I think I'll pass on that," she replied.  
  
Jason grin widened slightly in triumph. "Well, my work here is done. I think I'll leave the   
rest up to you."  
  
"Oh, by the way," Lita said just as he was turning to leave. "I asked Amy if she wanted to   
stay the night and she agreed. You don't mind letting her stay in your room, right?" Her   
grin widened as well. "Just make sure you two don't make too much noise. I, for one, like   
to sleep at night." She began to laugh as she watched her brother begin to blush again as   
he turned and left, muttering to himself.  
  
Game, set, and match.  
  
**********************************************  
  
Darien stared up at the large manor. It was getting dark so it was hard to see in great   
detail, but he could see well enough. The manor was two stories tall and seemed to be as   
wide as a football field was long... if you included the endzones and maybe even the rest   
of the grass field. As for how far back it went, it didn't seem to go too far back, but   
that didn't take away from the building itself.  
  
"Welcome to my home, Darien," Serena said as she shut her car door.  
  
"Certainly beats my apartment," he murmured as he glanced back and forth, taking it all in.   
"Almost seems like one of those places you'd see in one of those celebrity home tour shows."  
  
"Actually, I did do one of those once," she admitted as she led him to the front door. "I   
only agreed because I thought it would be a nice distraction from the normal grind. I   
suppose it was fun, but that was a long time ago." She turned toward Darien and smiled.   
"But this time is different. I want to give you a private tour of the whole place. Even the   
places I never bothered to show them when they shot that show here." She opened the door   
and reached over to flick a lightswitch near the door, then turned around and gestured for   
him to enter as she took a few steps backward. "Come in, Darien. Make yourself at home."  
  
Darien walked in and closed the door behind him as he looked around the main entrance to   
Serena's home. The room he was in was huge; it reached all the way to the roof of the manor   
where a large hanging chandelier flooded the room with a soft light. It wasn't bright   
enough to hurt his eyes when he gazed up at it, yet it was bright enough to shed enough   
light to brighten the huge room it hung in. There were two huge white marble columns that   
stood in the center of the room with a pair of black marble staircases that curved around   
the two columns and led up to the second floor, each one the mirror opposite of the other.   
The black staircases were a stark contrast to the white-tiled floor.  
  
"I considered having a fountain or some statues put in here," Serena began. "But later, I   
decided that the only decorations that I wanted in this room would be the few paintings   
that I have hanging on the walls. I suppose there's something to be said in simple   
decorations rather than extravagant ones, don't you agree?"  
  
Darien nodded. "I think so. I like it the way it is."  
  
Serena regared him for a moment, then nodded to herself as if telling herself something.   
"Well then, shall we get this tour started, then?" she said as she held out her hand to   
him. With a smile, Darien took her hand in his as she began to show him around the manor.  
  
There was a lot to see. An indoor pool, a small indoor gym, several entertainment rooms:   
one for watching TV; one mini-theater; one for her small collection of video games - which,   
to his amusement, contained Marvel vs. Capcom 2; and so on, several bathrooms, a few guest   
bedrooms, the kitchen, the dining room, the garage, and finally, her bedroom.  
  
Darien was slightly surprised to see that her bedroom wasn't as ornate as he thought it   
would be, or as large. The ordinary-sized bedroom was painted in a light purple with dark   
blue carpeting. Her bed sat at the other end of the bedroom from the door with windows to   
the left and right of the head. The bed itself was simple; it was made of wood and   
unpainted, so as to give it a natural look. The bedcovers, pillows and sheets were all   
white and looked like they were made of some kind of soft fabric. Maybe silk. There weren't   
very many decorations in her bedroom; there were simple white curtains on her windows and a   
painting or two on her walls, but not much else.  
  
The only thing that didn't seem out of place was the wall that held a shelf of awards. Many   
awards. Awards for movies, television, and even theater, but mostly for movies. Darien   
couldn't help but stare in awe.  
  
"This is one of the few places I rarely let anyone see," she explained as she sat down on   
the bed. "Not because of the fact that this is my bedroom, but because of that," she said,   
gesturing toward the shelf of awards. "In fact, the only other person to have ever seen my   
bedroom is Tanya.  
  
"I know you must be surprised, Darien. You may even be wondering why I'm showing you this   
if I've never shown anyone else." She pointed toward the awards again. "Those are part of   
the reason why.  
  
"Look at them, Darien. Years of hard work. A few in theater, during my first few years   
directly after college. I guess you could say I had some lucky breaks, since most people   
don't start off successful. But I took my success in theater and ran with it.  
  
"If you recall, I had moderate success in that TV series I did years ago," she continued.  
  
"I know that one," Darien said as he smiled at her over his shoulder. "'Fly By Night.' I   
really liked that show, too."  
  
"Tanya was right. You are a flatterer," she retorted with a small smile. "Yes, it was a   
good show, except that it didn't last very long. The show was in a bad time slot since it   
had to compete with a well-established, long-running show. I'm surprised it lasted as long   
as it did. But, at least the show gave me my opportunity to go from TV to the movies. And   
from that, the rest is history."  
  
"I see," Darien said as he stared at the awards some more. "But, what does that have to do   
with me?"  
  
"Right now, you are poised to do the exact same thing that I have done," she told him. "You   
are about to go from mediocrity to stardom overnight, almost like I had done during my   
theater days. As you know, at first, I resented you for that, but I realized that, in a   
way, you're just like I was, except that your rise to stardom took much longer to begin,   
but the rise itself would be much shorter than the one I went through. I slowly gained   
fame; you're going to gain it all at once."  
  
"I think I understand," he said as he turned to face Serena. "But you said that that was   
part of the reason why you wanted to show me these. What is the other reason?"  
  
"I think that's very obvious, Darien," she said softly as she stare up into his eyes. "Do   
I even need to tell you?"  
  
"No," he said as he walked over and sat down next to her on the bed and took her hands in   
his. "You don't have to tell me. I know." With a careful tenderness, he raised one of his   
hands toward her face and cupped her chin in his hand and gently turned her head toward   
him. "And I love you, too." Delicately, gently, and lovingly, he slowly bent his head   
toward hers and kissed her.  
  
The kiss was long and ardent, full of longing and passion. Serena felt herself lean into   
the kiss as she wrapped her arms around him and felt his arms wrap around her. When the   
kiss broke off, she gazed into his eyes, her tacit question showing in her eyes. His   
unspoken reply reflected back in his.  
  
Night fell outside, but inside her bedroom in the arms of the man she loved, Serena didn't   
care. As far as she was concerned, the entire world consisted of this bedroom, the bed, and   
the man she shared it with.  
  
**********************************************  
  
Raye sat in her living room, thinking as she sipped at a cup of tea she had prepared when   
she woke up earlier that morning. She hadn't bothered to get out of the bathrobe she had   
put on after her morning shower since she wasn't going anywhere today.  
  
As she set down her cup of tea on her coffee table and stretched out across the couch, she   
continued to ponder the events after the revelation of Darien's new relationship with the   
actress, Serena Moon. Getting him back from her wasn't going to be simple.  
  
Normally, after finding out about Darien's new girlfriend, she would've put him behind her,   
like she had done with previous ex-boyfriends, but there was something about him that was   
different. Something that set him apart from all the other men she had even dated. Maybe it   
was his genuine honesty and sincerity; a rare trait in a lot of men she had dated. Maybe it   
was because he actually cared about her and wasn't trying to figure out a way to get her to   
sleep with him. Maybe it was because he was always trying to make her feel special... no,   
not trying. He had made her feel special.  
  
But, not anymore.  
  
And it was all her fault.  
  
Well, she had apologized and tried to make amends. She was so certain that he would come   
back to her. He cared for her, didn't he? Didn't the time she had spent with him, the time   
that she had cared for him, shared with him... didn't it mean anything at all?  
  
It had... until Serena Moon came into the picture. That woman took away the chance that she   
had to regain something that she had foolishly spurned. She wanted... needed to make up for   
what she had done, but that woman ruined everything. It wasn't fair! It just wasn't fair!!!  
  
Raye pushed herself back up from her couch and reached out for the cup of tea she had set   
down and took a sip to calm herself. Just thinking about that blonde actress made her   
upset. She needed to calm herself. Her fiery temper wasn't the easiest to control, but for   
Darien, she had learned to do so. But since he was gone, she had let her temper fly when it   
would and let it settle of its own accord. There was no reason why she should control it,   
now. No, wait. Yes, there was. If she couldn't control her temper, then how did she expect   
to come up with a way to win back Darien? Going into a rage at Serena Moon wouldn't bring   
Darien back to her, no matter how tempting the idea sounded.  
  
As she took another sip at her tea, she quietly thought and hoped for some inspiration. So   
far, everything she had thought of was petty and ineffectual. Of course, she never had the   
need to perfect the art of romantic sabotage, so she had no idea of where to start. All she   
could think of was petty acts of revenge on the blonde actress, but she knew that doing   
that was not only childish, but it would make Darien think less of her. She certainly did   
not want that.  
  
But, what could she do? She didn't know Serena, so it wasn't like she could persuade her   
that dating Darien was a bad idea and that she should dump him....  
  
Wait. She did know Darien. Maybe she didn't have to convince Serena. Maybe she could convince   
Darien. After all, celebrity relationships were fragile ones at best. Break-ups and   
divorces were commonplace. All she had to do was convince Darien that Serena would dump him   
the moment that it fancied her and....  
  
But, wait. Now that she thought of it, celebrity relationships DID end abruptly. What if   
she was fretting over nothing? What if Darien and Serena's relationship did suddenly fall   
apart, just like all the others? She wouldn't have to life a finger. Not only that, but he   
would be so upset that all she had to do was welcome him back with open arms and he would   
be hers again. She wouldn't have to get her hands dirty at all. Best of all, Darien would   
probably even apologize for not believing her sincerity and commit himself to her more   
strongly than before. Perhaps this turn of events was a good thing, after all....  
  
As she finished her cup of tea and set it down, she reached over for the remote and turned   
on the TV. With a pleased smile, she settled back into her couch and started to watch. She   
would wait, and she would watch. She would be there for Darien, she would be his friend.   
And when the relationship collapsed, she would be there to pick up the pieces and take back   
what was hers to begin with. But this time, things would be different. Things would be   
better.  
  
Maybe today wouldn't be such a bad day after all.  
  
**********************************************  
  
As the Saturday morning sun shone into her bedroom, Serena awoke feeling more alive than   
she had ever felt in her life. And the reason for that was lying next to her, breathing   
softly onto the nape of her neck with one arm lazily draped over her underneath the   
blankets. He was still asleep, of course. That was probably to be expected; she still felt   
tired herself especially after what happened last night.  
  
A very small part of her told her that she felt as if she had rushed into this a little   
too fast, but the very pleasant sensation of being held in Darien's strong arms combined   
with the memories of last night and the feelings it invoked in her all joined forces to   
tell that very small part of her to shut the hell up. Last night was heaven and she   
wouldn't have missed it for anything. As a matter of fact, all she wanted was to do it   
again. And again. And again. And after all that, once more for good measure. She felt her   
cheeks heat up at the thought and grimaced slightly.  
  
'Well, a year of doing without combined with an overwhelming sense of lonely emptiness will   
do that to a person,' she reasoned with herself. 'I can't say I blame myself. I suppose I   
could say that I did this to assuage the emptiness in my heart, but that's not entirely   
true, now is it?' She smiled lasciviously and laughed languidly.  
  
Darien stirred slightly and unconsiously pulled her closer to him. She sighed in pleasure   
as she felt his body against hers and his hand move against her bare skin.  
  
'Even when he's asleep, he makes me feel so good,' she thought as she let herself feel him   
lying next to her. To hell with the morning sunshine, she was still worn out from last   
night. She'd get some more rest, then she'd wake up. Or rather, she'd wake Darien up. After   
all, she had never actually said that that agreement she and Darien had made so many weeks   
and almost a lifetime ago about him paying her back for ruining her favorite designer dress   
was fulfilled. Well, she would give him some more rest, then she would demand the next   
installment. After all, she was a reasonable woman. And she was still slightly tired.  
  
'Rest up, love,' she thought as she drifted back to sleep with a huge smile on her face.   
'You'll need it for later.'  
  
**********************************************  
  
To Chapter 27  
  
**********************************************  
  
Author's Note: I know, I know, I'm taking way too long between chapters of this story. I   
can't help it. I'm juggling this and three other stories all at the same time and I don't   
get a lot of time to do my writing. Besides, all of my fics are long ones, so it's not like   
I can just finish a story just like that. Well, on another note, I'm one chapter away from   
finishing one of my stories: Alone No More - Minako's Story, so after that's done, I'll   
have a little more time to work on this fic, but that's only until I start work on the next   
story in the series: Atonement - Rei's Story. I guess I'm just going to be perpetually busy   
until I get most of my fics done. Of course, having never finished one fic yet.... Anyway,   
I'll try to get more work done on this fic on a regular basis. Next chapter: Ryoku and   
Hotaru try to figure out where they are now; Jack and Diane try to locate the Green   
Nijizuishou; and Haruka becomes more suspicious.  
  
Disclaimer: All original materials belong to their respective   
owners. Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi and a bunch   
of big companies. No copyright infringement is intended. This   
story belongs to Moonsong and myself, and I would appreciate   
you emailing her or myself for permission before posting it   
anywhere else. Thank you.  
  
Prologue Copyright © January 24, 2000 Moonsong.  
Other Chapters Copyright © August 12, 2000 Jason Ulloa.   
All Rights Reserved. 


	28. Chapter 27

Seeing Stars  
By Jason Ulloa  
Original story by Moonsong  
Continued with her permission.  
  
  
Chapter 27  
  
When Monday rolled around again, almost everyone stopped and stared at Serena in amazement   
as she walked into the studio singing softly to herself. As she walked past everyone, she   
gave a cheerful smile as she headed to her trailer. When she stepped inside and closed the   
door behind her, they all turned back toward Darien, who had walked in with her and who   
seemed to be the cause of her exuberant mood, and smiled knowingly.  
  
Darien's cheeks began to heat up as he felt everyone's eyes on him. The fact that some of   
the female crew were either winking encouragingly or giggling at him and some of the males   
were talking amongst themselves while giving him slightly envious looks weren't helping   
matters much.  
  
"Am I seeing things, or did I just see Serena singing and skipping past?" Tanya asked as   
she walked up to Darien. She blinked when she saw his cheeks reddening and grinned widely.   
"Ooh, did something happen this weekend? I take it that you and Serena had a really good   
time, right?" she asked while gently nudging him in the side with her elbow.  
  
"Well...."  
  
"You don't have to tell me," she said with a smile. "I'm just glad that Serena's in just a   
great mood today. It's almost like she's back to her old self again."  
  
"I have to thank you, Tanya," he said as he put a hand on her shoulder. "If it wasn't for   
you, I might not have found the courage to even ask her out. After all, you were the one   
who made me realize that she didn't really hate me."  
  
Tanya nodded in satisfaction. "Yet another satisfied customer," she said with a laugh.   
"Maybe I should quit this acting gig and start my own dating service."  
  
"I hope you don't decide to quit acting until after the movie's finished," Melvin said as   
he walked up behind them. "After all, it'd be a shame for the movie industry to lose such a   
talented actress such as yourself."  
  
"I was only joking Melvin," she said, chuckling. "I'm not changing professions any time   
soon."  
  
"Oh! It was a joke," he replied, then laughed as well. "You had me going there for a   
moment."  
  
Darien glanced at Tanya, but she just shrugged in reply.  
  
"Anyway, I came to tell you that G.Q. has finished the final revision of the script," he   
told them. "Since he finished it on Saturday, I had enough time to make everyone their own   
copies. You can pick up yours in the conference room. Tanya, would you mind informing   
Serena that her copy is there as well?"  
  
"No problem," she replied as she left.  
  
"So, this's it?" he asked before he left to pick up his copy of the new script revision.   
"No more changes? Everything's set in stone?"  
  
"G.Q. says he's completely satisfied with it. Both Amy and myself think that the changes   
will really make this movie a big hit."  
  
"Really?" Darien asked, grinning in anticipation as he turned to leave. "Then, I'm looking   
forward to seeing it."  
  
**********************************************  
  
The feeling of unconsciousness was beginning to become more familiar to him than he   
would've preferred. After losing consciousness from a concussion from a long fall, profuse   
bleeding from a knife wound and from almost cracking his head open on a marble floor, and   
from receiving a sharp blow to the back of his head, he was beginning to wonder if he   
should just stay unconscious for just a little while longer. This constantly becoming   
unconscious was getting kinda rough on him and he was developing quite a headache.  
  
Well, at least he was alive to feel it.  
  
Before he opened his eyes, he let himself reach out through his entire body to assess how   
banged up he was.  
  
Feet... check. Legs... check. Back... check. Arms... check. Hands... check. Head... a   
slight headache, but check.  
  
So far, so good. However, he felt a cold, smooth surface against his back, arms and legs.   
Slowly, warily, he opened his eyes and peered into darkness once again.  
  
However, it wasn't the pitch black darkness of a room with no light, but the darkness of   
night, lessened only by the faint light of the Moon and stars.  
  
"Hotaru-chan...," he called out weakly, but got no response. "Hotaru-chan?" Still no   
answer. 'Maybe she's asleep.'  
  
He slowly pushed himself up off his back and sat up. That helped to clear his head a little   
bit. Now that he had sat up, he realized that not only was his shirt gone, but so was the   
rest of his clothing. All he had left was his boxers.  
  
'So, where am I now?' he thought as he waited for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. As   
his eyes grew more accustomed to the darkness, he could begin to make out more of the   
details of his room... or rather, his cell. After all, he was a prisoner.  
  
As he glanced about the room, he found that he was alone. Hotaru wasn't in the room with   
him, which worried him greatly. She wouldn't have escaped without him, so they must've put   
her in a different room. But... where? Was she even in the same building? For that matter,   
was she even in the same city... or country? He cut off that train of thought so as to keep   
from making himself worry even more.  
  
'Don't be stupid,' he mentally chided himself. 'Why should they go to so much trouble to   
keep us apart when all they have to do is put us in different rooms? She could be in the   
next room for all I know.'  
  
"Ryo-chan?" he heard Hotaru call out weakly from very close by. Her voice was muffled, but   
audible. "Ryo-chan, where are you?" Her voice sounded like she was very close to tears.  
  
'She IS in the next room!' Ryoku thought as he got to his knees and crawled over to the   
wall closest to where Hotaru's voice was coming from. "Hotaru-chan?"  
  
"Ryo-chan!" she called out in relief. "Where are you?"  
  
"I'm in the room next to yours. Other than that, I have no clue."  
  
"They took your shirt from me, Ryo-chan," she told him sadly. "All I have left is what you   
saw me in before they came to take us away."  
  
So, she was in only her underwear as well. "They took my clothes from me, too," he told   
her. "All they left me was my boxers." He thought for a moment. "Hotaru-chan, how long were   
you out for? I was blacked out for the entire trip."  
  
"I kept slipping in and out of consciousness during the entire trip," she informed him.   
"They kept us blindfolded the entire time, so they didn't notice. However, I could tell   
that we were traveling by airplane for the first part, then by car for the second part. I'm   
sure we're somewhere far from home, but I have no idea where."  
  
Ryoku wearily leaned with his back against the wall and sighed. "That makes two of us," he   
whispered.  
  
"I wonder how Dad is doing," he heard Hotaru murmur sadly. "I miss him so much.... I even   
miss Kaye, even if she's always fawning over Dad."  
  
"Kaye?"  
  
"She's Dad's lab assistant and housekeeper, even though she prefers to be called a   
'domestic manager,'" she explained as Ryoku chuckled a bit at her wry tone as she told him   
about Kaye's preferred title. "Sometimes I wonder if she's also trying to become my new   
stepmother...."  
  
"I know what you mean," he replied, nodding to himself in agreement, even if she couldn't   
see it. "My mother still has men trying to date her, even though she's still in mourning   
over my father." He sighed silently as he let his head lean back against the wall as he   
looked up to the ceiling. "Father has been dead for over six years, but to my mother, it is   
still fresh in her heart."  
  
"I'm sorry, Ryo-chan...," Hotaru said consolingly.  
  
"Don't be," he replied dismissively. "I'm over it now... but at times.... I still miss my   
father, but my mother shouldn't mourn him for too long. Life does go on... and I do want   
her to be able to find someone to love her like my father did."  
  
They were both silent for a while. "I wonder if Diane-oneesama knows about what happened to   
us?" Hotaru said suddenly, breaking the silence.  
  
"Diane?"  
  
"She's a friend of mine and my Dad's from way back. When Dad moved here from Japan and   
started teaching, he met both of Diane-oneesama's parents. This was back before they had   
met and shortly after my parents had gotten married. I would be born eight years later.  
  
"Dad met Diane-oneesama's father when he enrolled in one of his classes for his Junior   
year. However, after a few weeks, he had found that he was having a very hard time with the   
class. Dad tried to help him by arranging for one of his best students in his Senior year   
class to tutor him. As it turned out, Dad chose Diane-oneesama's mother as his tutor.  
  
"To make a long story short, they fell in love and got married a year later, and had   
Diane-oneesama a few months after that. Of course, they were very grateful to Dad for   
introducing them to each other, even if their relationship was just a case of serendipity   
to him. They kept in touch with each other, especially after they graduated and Dad went on   
from teaching to doing his current job.  
  
"Diane-oneesama was seven years old when I was born. When she came with her parents to the   
hospital that I was born in, she gave Mom a stuffed doll shaped as a firefly to give to me   
when I was born. Dad says that Mom named me Hotaru because of it.  
  
"She's always been like an older sister to me," Hotaru continued as she sighed   
reminiscently. "I've known her my entire life."  
  
"She sounds very important to you," he remarked thoughtfully. "What's she like?"  
  
"She's very nice," she told him. "She's smart and fun to be around, but she can be very   
serious when she has to be, especially when it comes to her job at the F.B.I."  
  
"She works for the F.B.I.?" he asked, impressed. "As an agent?"  
  
"That's right," she confirmed. "Maybe she's trying to find us as we speak. She would, since   
it's us that's in danger. She would demand to be assigned to search for us. She's one of   
their top agents, you know," she added proudly.  
  
"Really?" he asked. "Well, I do hope she's as good as you say. After all, now that we're   
no longer in D.C., it's going to be hard to find us. Especially since we don't even know   
where we are."  
  
He let himself slide down to the floor and tried to make himself comfortable... or at   
least, as comfortable as possible, considering that he was lying on a cold floor with no   
clothing on save for his underwear.  
  
"I think we should get some more rest, Hotaru-chan," he suggested. "Maybe we can figure out   
something in the morning. Oyasumi, Hotaru-chan."  
  
"Oyasumi, Ryo-chan," she replied as he tried to go to sleep.  
  
**********************************************  
  
The next day had Jack driving cautiously around a high mountain road while Diane sat in the   
passenger seat, playing navigator. The map of Vancouver that she had bought earlier showed   
the location of various points of interest, including airfields, both commercial and   
non-commercial. There was one airfield that caught their interest, a non-commercial   
airfield by the name of Victoria Airfield, positioned on the northernmost part of   
Vancouver. It wasn't very far from the mountain road they were driving on.  
  
That morning, she had questioned one of the workers at the airfield about Haruka Tenou. He   
had told them that she kept her personal airplane - a two-propeller plane - there in one of   
the hangars and that she usually came down to fly about every other week for about half a   
day or so. He told them that he knew the general area of where she lived, but didn't know   
anything more than that. It wasn't very much, but it was enough to give them somewhere to   
start.  
  
Jack had called the hospital that morning to check on Tira's condition, but found that she   
still hadn't woken up yet. The nurse on the phone had assured him that her condition was   
improving, but it still wasn't fast enough for him. Anything short of instantaneous wasn't   
fast enough for him. At least she was improving; that was good enough, for now.  
  
"What are we looking for again?" Diane asked as she looked up from the map she had been   
studying and turned to look expectantly at him.  
  
"Something," he replied without turning his attention away from the road.  
  
"Something?" she repeated, giving him a skeptical look.  
  
"Something."  
  
"And what, may I ask, is 'something?'"  
  
She waited and watched as Jack's mouth curved downwards in a slight frown. "I cannot say."  
  
"You... cannot say?" she asked, raising an eyebrow questioningly. "Or, you do not know?"  
  
Jack was silent for a while, his gaze remaining transfixed on the road ahead as he   
carefully drove the car around a sharp S-turn that followed the side of the mountain. "It's   
not that I don't know... at least, not entirely. We have some of the information that we   
need. It's not enough, but unfortunately, right now it's all we have to work with."  
  
"I know that already. So, why are we driving around the mountain, looking for... something?"  
  
"During your time in the F.B.I., have you ever worked on a case where you didn't have all   
of the information and it was unlikely that you would ever get more?"  
  
"Once or twice," she replied. "Those weren't very easy. There were times when we almost had   
to give up the cases, but we always managed to find small leads that helped us resolve   
them."  
  
Jack nodded. "It was like that with Lee and myself. He taught me that when it seemed as   
though a case was going nowhere, I should just go with what I already knew and keep my eyes   
open for anything. He said that sometimes leads could pop up in the most unlikely of   
places. 'Expect anything, prepare for everything, and dismiss nothing.' That was his first   
rule of policework and the very first lesson he ever taught me."  
  
Diane nodded, but frowned questioningly. "That still doesn't explain why we're out here."  
  
"Right now, all we know is that Haruka Tenou lives out here. The question is exactly where   
she lives.  
  
"This road that we're on is the only road to Vancouver for the people who live out here.   
Therefore, Haruka Tenou needs to drive along this road if she wants to go to Vancouver."  
  
"I see your point, but the likelyhood of her driving down this road while we're on it isn't   
exactly high. Furthermore, we're not even sure of what she looks like."  
  
"I know. However, I wasn't planning on trying to stop her along the road. I was thinking   
more along the lines of... well...." He paused for a moment as he grimaced in chagrin. "I   
know this is going to sound stupid, but right now, I think this might be our best choice."  
  
"What is it, Jack?" she asked, giving him an encouraging look.  
  
"Well, we could try to ask one of the people who live up here if they know Haruka."  
  
"Going door-to-door in order to find her? You're right; that does sound stupid. However, it   
also sounds like our best option right now. It's better than nothing."  
  
**********************************************  
  
Haruka stepped out of her garage and stretched. It had taken her the better part of four   
hours, but the work was complete. She had just finished the last part of putting in the new   
engine on the old car she was restoring and was taking a long overdue break.  
  
She looked at the old car and smiled. Sure, it wasn't much to look at now, but it would be   
soon. The body was old and rusted in some areas, but it was nothing a good sanding and a   
new paint job couldn't fix. Almost everything in the car was new or replaced, but she made   
sure that the parts going on the outside - the headlights, taillights, bumpers, etc. - were   
all the same year as the car. The average person wouldn't notice, but a automotive   
aficionado like herself would instantly notice '99 taillights on a '57. Something like that   
was pure anathema, almost like watching a colorized version of the same movie you had grown   
up watching in black and white. Sure, it was the same movie, but it just seemed... wrong.  
  
Now that most of the interior work was near completion, it was nearing time to take the car   
out and perform a little test drive. Another thing these mountain roads were good for was   
giving her restored cars a really good road test.  
  
She nodded to herself and went back into the garage, smiling eagerly. Yes, that's just what   
she was going to do. All the car needed was some oil, coolant, antifreeze and some gas,   
then she could take her baby out on the road and see what she could do. After all, the   
weatherman said it would be clear all day today, so the roads should be just fine.  
  
**********************************************  
  
"Haruka?" the man repeated, blinking questioningly. "Yeah, I know her."  
  
Diane gave Jack a surprised look, which he returned with a confidant, I-told-you-so look.   
"Would you happen to know where she lives?" he asked. "It's important that we find out."  
  
He glanced from Jack to Diane and frowned suspiciously. "Why're you asking about her?   
What business is it of yours, anyway?"  
  
"I'm a private investigator," Jack said, bringing out his license and presented it to the   
man.  
  
"Los Angeles," the man said, examining the license. "An American. So, what's an   
investigator from the U.S. doing up here, looking for Haruka?"  
  
"It's a long story," Diane told the man. "We're after a man who we think may be after a   
precious gem that she owns. He has already stolen a similar gem from me, so I've hired this   
man to help me catch him."  
  
The man's suspicious look didn't change. "Really? What about the police? Haven't you tried   
them?"  
  
"The man's already left the U.S.," Jack informed him. "It's out of their hands. However, we   
need to find Miss Tenou in order to warn her about the man, and possibly get her to help us   
catch the man so we can turn him over to Vancouver police."  
  
The man looked from Jack to Diane again, his expression considering. He started to back   
into his house and close the door behind him.  
  
"Wait!" Diane shouted, slamming her hand on the door to prevent him from closing it all the   
way. "Why won't you help us?!?"  
  
"I don't believe you people," he said as he tried to close the door. "Your story sounds too   
suspicious. Why would you want to hire someone to find your gem - if you ever had one -   
when stuff like that is the police's job?  
  
"Finally, there's Haruka's privacy. She likes her privacy; that's why she lives way out   
here, when she could just as easily live out in the city. I'm not about to let you intrude   
on her privacy."  
  
"Diane," Jack said suddenly, "perhaps you should tell him the real reason why you're after   
that man. If you tell him the truth, then maybe he'd help us."  
  
Both the man and Diane stopped their inverse tug-of-war with the man's front door and   
looked at Jack. "What are you talking about?" the man asked, then stared intently at Diane.   
"What 'truth?'"  
  
Diane sighed as she reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out her F.B.I. badge. "My   
name is Diane Silver. I'm with the F.B.I. The man I am after has kidnapped a pair of   
children as well as stolen several precious gems known at the Nijizuishou crystals. I   
believe that he is after Miss Tenou's Green Nijizuishou crystal next. That is why I need   
to find her."  
  
The man scrutinized her badge carefully. "So, why the duplicity?" he asked cautiously.   
"Why not just tell me you're an American federal agent? And what about him?" he asked,   
nodding toward Jack. "Since when do American federal agents need private investigators?"  
  
"Right now, I can't risk letting anyone find out that I'm actively searching for him," she   
explained. "If that man knew I was hunting him down, the lives of those children would be   
at risk.  
  
"As for him," she continued as she gestured toward Jack, "he's my partner in this case."  
  
"The man we're after shot my daughter," he told him; his expression hard. "She almost died.   
I'm here to personally see that he is brought to justice."  
  
The man gave them both another considering look, then nodded as he gestured for them to   
come inside. "I think I can help you both out. Let me give Haruka a call and see if she's   
home. If she is, I'll let her know you're coming."  
  
"Thank you," Diane said gratefully. "You don't know how much this means to us."  
  
He nodded and grinned slightly in embarrassment. "Well... don't worry about it. Let's just   
see if we can't catch Haruka before your man does."  
  
**********************************************  
  
"There you go," Haruka said in satisfaction as she closed the hood of the car. "All   
finished. Now, let's go for a spin."  
  
As she opened the door to the car, she heard the phone ring at the back of the garage.   
Since she spent a good deal of time in the garage working on her restoration projects, she   
had a phone installed in her garage as well, so she wouldn't miss any calls that went to   
the house.  
  
For a moment, she considered answering the phone. "Nah," she said as she slid into the car,   
shut the door, and buckled her seatbelt. "I'll let the machine get it. It's probably not   
that important anyway." She started her car and drove off just as her answering machine   
turned on.  
  
"Oops, you just missed me. Too bad. Leave a message, all right?"  
  
**********************************************  
  
"She's not there," the man said as he hung up his phone. "I got her answering machine."  
  
"Thanks anyway," Diane said understandingly. "Listen, could you just give us directions to   
her house? We could just wait for her there."  
  
"You sure that's a good idea? It's below 20 out there. You don't know when she'll get back."  
  
"We'll be all right," Jack replied. "We've got blankets and such. We sort of suspected that   
we might have to wait in the car in this cold weather anyway."  
  
"I think you're both crazy for wanting to do this, but I suppose you have your reasons," he   
relented as he started to write some directions on a piece of notepaper he grabbed from his   
kitchen counter. "Here."  
  
Diane took the piece of paper gratefully. "Thank you for your help."  
  
"No problem," he replied casually. "Good luck finding your man."  
  
**********************************************  
  
As Haruka neared the end of her long driveway, she glanced around, searching. She wondered   
if that driver that had been following her would be out here, waiting for her. Well, if he   
or she was, then it would be hard for either him or her to track her, since she had never   
driven this car before until now.  
  
If there was someone who was shadowing her, then it would be a good time to find out. All   
she needed to do was pull a hard turn - she might as well check the handbrake first anyway -   
and see if anyone was following her. If not, and if it turned out that she was just being   
paranoid, then she would just continue on her merry little way.  
  
She drove a good way down the mountain - just to make sure that whoever was following her   
wouldn't suspect anything - before performing her sudden brake and reverse spin.  
  
No one was there.  
  
Except for that one car that had passed her going in the opposite direction a few minutes   
ago, there was no one on the road save for her.  
  
"Kami-sama, I feel like an idiot," Haruka muttered and started driving back the way she   
came. "Next thing you know, I'm going to start jumping at shadows.  
  
"Well, you handled pretty good so far," she said as she patted the steering wheel as one   
would pet a dog or a horse. "What say we head on back home? Suddenly I'm not in the mood   
to do more road testing anymore." With that being said, she headed back for her house   
feeling very silly about that sudden case of paranoia.  
  
**********************************************  
  
Jed looked up again, his short nap being interrupted again by the sound of another vehicle   
passing by. It was a white, four-door sedan, and it was going up Tenou's driveway, not   
coming down it.  
  
So far, he hadn't seen the blue four-door hatchback that he remembered seeing Tenou drive   
when he had started following her, so she must still be at home. Unless she had other cars,   
that is. The only car he had seen leaving the driveway was some beat up old car, which he   
figured belonged to a neighbor who was visiting. After all, why would a well-to-do racecar   
driver drive around in a clunker like that when she drove something better?  
  
He sighed, bored with all the waiting. It was freezing in the car, but he needed to wait   
until either Tenou left or night fell before moving to get the Nijizuishou. It would be   
better if Tenou left; that way he wouldn't have to deal with anyone getting in his way   
like that damn boy and the Tomoe girl. Well, they had already been taken care of. No more   
worries on that part.  
  
Just before he settled back in his seat again, he noticed that clunker car turning back   
onto the driveway. One look at the driver made him grind his teeth in annoyance.  
  
It WAS Tenou.  
  
Why the hell was she driving that mobile scrap heap?!?  
  
No matter. In a way, it was a good thing that he didn't go when she did leave. She had   
come back way too early for him to find the crystal and leave unnoticed. It had to be   
tonight, then. Maybe Tenou's guests would be gone by then, leaving her alone in her   
home. He hoped, for her sake, that she wasn't a light sleeper. There could be no witnesses.   
Not this time.  
  
No more mistakes.  
  
He grinned darkly as he settled back into his seat to wait for nightfall....  
  
**********************************************  
  
To Chapter 28  
  
**********************************************  
  
Author's Note: At last, a new chapter! Aren't you glad? I know I am! Sorry for the long   
wait... again. Holidays, and all that. Besides, I've got so much to catch up on. I've   
finished Alone No More - Minako's Story, so I have more time to work on this fic. However,   
I've also started work on Atonement - Rei's Story, so I might have to jump between fics   
again. Hey, don't worry. I'm still working hard on this fic. And it's far from over. Next   
chapter: The meeting between Jack, Diane and Haruka; Tira wakes from her coma; and Jed   
prepares to steal the Green Nijizuishou crystal.  
  
Disclaimer: All original materials belong to their respective   
owners. Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi and a bunch   
of big companies. No copyright infringement is intended. This   
story belongs to Moonsong and myself, and I would appreciate   
you emailing her or myself for permission before posting it   
anywhere else. Thank you.  
  
Prologue Copyright © January 24, 2000 Moonsong.  
Other Chapters Copyright © August 12, 2000 Jason Ulloa.   
All Rights Reserved. 


	29. Chapter 28

Seeing Stars  
By Jason Ulloa  
Original story by Moonsong  
Continued with her permission.  
  
  
Chapter 28  
  
Jack stopped the car and turned off the engine. "So, now we just wait until Haruka comes   
back," he said as he leaned back in his seat. "I just hope she doesn't take too long."  
  
Diane tilted her seat backwards and reached toward the backseat and grabbed a pair of   
folded blankets. "Here." She tossed Jack the white blanket while she kept the gray one for   
herself. "We might as well settle in for a long wait."  
  
"Right," he nodded as he unfolded his blanket and wrapped it around himself. Diane did the   
same. "So, what do you think we should tell her when she comes back?"  
  
She frowned as she thought about the question for a moment. "What else can we tell her?"   
she asked. "We need to tell her the truth. Even if it's just because she owns a   
Nijizuishou, she's involved in this, too."  
  
"I was thinking the same thing," he agreed with a solemn nod.  
  
The sound of car tires crunching through gravel and snow caught their attention. As one,   
they both turned toward the source of the sound and watched as a car slowly pulled up, then   
passed by.  
  
"Do you think that's Haruka?" Diane asked as she stared after the car.  
  
"I have a strong suspicion it is," he told her.  
  
"Oh? Why's that?"  
  
"Did you notice the car?" he asked with the hint of a grin showing on his face.  
  
"Yeah. It's an old, rusted piece of junk," she remarked. "I'm surprised it's even running.   
What about it?"  
  
"It's a '57 Nightfire HX," he pointed out.  
  
"That's a Nightfire?" Diane asked. "That doesn't look anything like a Nightfire. Besides,   
I thought they were all sedans or convertables."  
  
"They are now," he explained. "However, the Nightfire also had a hatchback model, but they   
were discontinued in '59. The demand for them was poor, so they concentrated on the more   
popular models."  
  
Diane shrugged. "All right, but that doesn't really explain why you think that Haruka's   
driving it."  
  
Jack grinned. "We're dealing with a professional racecar driver here. I'm willing to wager   
that she's restoring that car. After all, she's got the money to do it and I know she must   
love cars. Besides, the engine was running very smoothly. Considering how old that car is,   
the engine must be new."  
  
She shrugged again, but this time she gave him a slightly perplexed frown. "This's all   
interesting and everything, Jack, but what does all that have to do Haruka being the   
driver? Any one of her neighbors could be restoring that car and just coming here for a   
visit."  
  
He nodded, then grinned again. "That's also true," he admitted as he took off his blanket,   
rolled it up and tossed it in the backseat. He then opened the car door and stepped out of   
the car. "But this last piece of information will finally show you why I'm sure she's the   
driver."  
  
"All right," she said as she tossed her blanket in the back and got out as well, then shut   
the door behind her. "What is it?"  
  
He shut the door and gave her an intent look, then pointed toward Haruka's house. "The car   
just pulled into Haruka's garage."  
  
Diane gave him a flat, annoyed look. "You could've said that sooner," she pointed out.   
"What the hell was all that about '57 Nightfires and all that other nonsense?"  
  
Jack grinned again. "I was just messing with you," he told her. "But everything I told you   
about the hatchback is true," he added.  
  
She snorted irritably and headed for the garage just as Haruka was getting out of her car.   
Jack just shrugged and headed after her.  
  
Haruka stepped out of her garage, stopped, and glared at both Diane and Jack. "Who are you   
and what do you two want?" she demanded crossly as she folded her arms. "You are aware that   
trespassing is illegal, right?"  
  
Jack and Diane shared a brief glance, then turned to Haruka. "Ms. Tenou," Diane began as   
she brought out her badge and presented it to her, "my name is Diane Silver. I'm with the   
F.B.I. This is Jack Terrance, a private investigator from Los Angeles."  
  
He nodded a greeting to Haruka. "We need to speak with you. It's very important."  
  
Haruka glanced suspiciously from Diane to Jack and back, but she seemed to accept the badge   
as genuine. "All right," she said reluctantly to Diane. "Say I accept your story about you   
being a fed and him being a P.I. So, why do you need to talk to me? I'm just a racer who   
likes to live up in the Canadian mountains during her off-time. What could I have to do   
with anything?"  
  
"It's not what you, personally, have to do with anything," he explained. "It has to do with   
what you own."  
  
"What I own?" she repeated questioningly as a strong gust of wind suddenly began to blow,   
cutting through their clothing to chill them even more than they already were. "Listen, I'm   
not sure what you two are talking about, but it's freezing out here. Let's continue this   
inside."  
  
"Thank you, Ms. Tenou," Diane said gratefully.  
  
"Haruka," she corrected. "I hate being called 'Ms.' or 'Miss'. Too damn formal for me."  
  
"Fine with us," Jack said with a laugh. "Thanks, Haruka."  
  
**********************************************  
  
Beep.  
  
Beep.  
  
That constant beeping sound was the first thing that Tira heard when she started to regain   
her consciousness. Everything was dark, but then, that was to be expected when your eyes   
were closed, wasn't it? She was so tired her eyes wouldn't open. Still, it was a lot better   
than being in a coma.  
  
It was horrible. She had been a hairbreadth away from dying. Jack must've been so worried.   
And Diane. She must've been worried, too, even though she only knew her for a very short   
time.  
  
It took a moment for the realization to well and truly sink in. She could've died! She   
could've died, leaving Jack all alone....  
  
He was almost as close to her as her own father was; hell, he practically WAS her father in   
all but blood and name. She had once considered changing her last name to Jack's last name,   
but she ultimately decided not to, as a reminder of her father's legacy. She was Tira   
Jenner, daughter of Lee Jenner, one of the best policemen in all of Los Angeles. That was   
something to be proud of.  
  
But still, she didn't want to die yet. Besides, there was still the important information   
that she had downloaded from Stanton Aeronautical that she had to show Jack.  
  
Project: Ginzuishou.  
  
He had to know about it. It would explain why whoever was behind the crystal robberies and,   
indirectly, the Tomoe/Kino kidnapping were after the Nijizuishou crystals. She had to warn   
Jack.  
  
But first, she had to open her eyes. Maybe she should get some rest first. Yes, that would   
probably be for the best....  
  
As Tira fell into a deep sleep, she let out a small sigh and murmured a single word.  
  
"Jack...."  
  
An orderly paused at the door to Tira's room and glanced inside through the open door.   
"Hmm.... That's odd...," he murmured as he frowned in bewilderment. "I could've sworn I   
heard somebody say something in here, but there's just the girl here and she's comatose."  
  
"Ryan," a doctor called out to him from down the hall, "I need you to go check up on the   
patient in room 734 again."  
  
The orderly sighed patiently. "Can't we just disconnect the bloody thing?"  
  
The doctor laughed. "I wish I could. No matter how many times I tell him not to play with   
it, he still loves to push the button." She smiled at him. "Come on, Ryan. He's just a kid.   
He doesn't really mean any harm."  
  
He sighed and nodded. "I know, I know. But still, his parents should teach him about   
starting false alarms. One of these days, it's gonna get him into real trouble."  
  
The doctor laughed again. "Oh, Ryan, he's...."  
  
"I know. He's just a kid." He turned down toward room 734 while rolling his eyes in   
annoyance. "Oh, Doctor Ceranti, I just thought I'd mention that I thought I heard the   
patient in this room say something as I was passing by it."  
  
"From our comatose gunshot victim?" she asked.  
  
He nodded. "I thought I might've been hearing things, but for some reason I don't think   
that's the case. Would you mind just doing a quick check on her when you or another doctor   
has the time?"  
  
"I'll look in on her when I'm finished here, Ryan," she replied with a nod. "Now, please go   
check in on our little button pusher in 734, if you don't mind."  
  
"Okay, I'm going," he replied in a mock-harried tone. "But if it's another prank, I'm going   
to have to give that boy a stern talking to."  
  
"Just take it easy when you do so," she called after him as he left, then returned to her   
previous task.  
  
**********************************************  
  
As Jack and Diane went back and forth telling Haruka everything that had happened and   
their reason for seeing her, Haruka just sat there, taking it all in stoically as she   
leaned forward with her hands folded quietly in front of her face. The two were sitting on   
the couch in her living room, opposite to Haruka, who was sitting in her favorite black   
leather chair.  
  
"Damn...," Haruka murmured quietly as soon as Jack was finished, then leaned back and gave   
him a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry to hear about your daughter, Jack. I'm sure it must be   
hard for you."  
  
"Tira will pull through," he said certainly. "I know she will."  
  
She nodded, then turned toward Diane. "So, this guy is after my grandmother's Nijizuishou?"  
  
"That seems to be the pattern," she agreed. "The Red, Orange and Yellow Nijizuishou are all   
in his possession. Now he's after the Green Nijizuishou. It's the next color and it's the   
closest one to where the last crystal was."  
  
"This... just seems too strange," she muttered as she stood up. "I've read the stories in   
the paper about the other three Nijizuishou being stolen and it has made me a little   
worried. But, it's a lot of trouble to go through, isn't it? Just to get the Nijizuishou   
crystals. Even if they are valuable and rare, there has to be other gems out there even   
more valuable and rare. Why the Nijizuishou?"  
  
"I've been wondering the same thing," Jack said as his expression turned dark. "However,   
it doesn't matter what the reason is. All I care about is getting the man who almost killed   
Tira and helping Diane save both Hotaru and Ryoku."  
  
Haruka nodded and turned to leave. "Come with me," she said as she left the room. Jack and   
Diane stood up and quickly followed after her.  
  
They followed Haruka up the stairs to the second floor and followed her down the hallway.   
"Here's my 'trophy' room," she told them with the hint of a smile on her lips, then opened   
the door.  
  
The room did have a wall adorned with several trophies; mostly for racing, Jack supposed.   
The wall opposite the door had a window and a few pictures and paintings on it, but the   
last wall was what caught Jack's attention.  
  
There were rows upon rows upon rows of model cars, almost all of them vintage classic cars.   
He grinned as he spotted the model '57 Nightfire HX. It was almost exactly like the car he   
had seen Haruka drive up, only this one was royal blue, whereas Haruka's car was still   
rusty brown.  
  
Haruka grinned widely. "I see you like my... collection, Jack," she observed with a hint   
of amusement.  
  
"It's impressive," he agreed with a nod. "I noticed you have a model '57 Nightfire HX just   
like the one you drove up in."  
  
She nodded. "I'm restoring it. I want it to look just like my model. I'm even going to have   
it painted the exact same color. However, this's not the reason why I brought you both up   
here." She moved over toward the window and gestured toward another display. "This is what   
you came here for, I believe."  
  
Diane nodded as she recognized the Green Nijizuishou crystal sitting in a display case.   
"That's it, all right," she agreed. "I'm glad it's still here."  
  
"We got here first, it seems," Jack added.  
  
"This gem's been in my family for generations," she said reverently. "It was my   
grandmother's, and before that, her grandmother's, and so on. I don't really care for   
jewelry or any kind of precious gems, but this's a family heirloom, so I couldn't really   
refuse. I'd hate to think about anyone stealing it from me."  
  
"If we're lucky, you won't have to worry about it, and we'll have our man," Diane said   
certainly.  
  
"I'm glad to hear that," she replied as she turned to leave again. "If you'll excuse me,   
I'm going to go back to the garage to work on my car again. You two can make yourselves at   
home. And thank you for offering to help protect my grandmother's Nijizuishou." With that,   
she left, leaving Jack and Diane by themselves.  
  
**********************************************  
  
Jed drove his car up the driveway to Haruka's house, but he stopped and shifted into   
reverse, then backed up off of the driveway before coming into sight of the house itself.   
He wanted his car to be in position to depart swiftly, should he need it. However, should   
everything go according to plan, he wouldn't need it.  
  
He had spent most of the day considering the most efficient way of getting into the house,   
getting the crystal, and getting out again, quickly and with as much stealth as he could   
muster. There could be no more mistakes like those at the Tomoe manor. Max was lenient last   
time, but he didn't want to push his luck. After all, he was paying him good money for this   
job.  
  
Getting the Red and Orange Nijizuishou crystals wasn't that hard since he had already been   
to both locations. The museum in Madrid was open to the public, so he could just walk right   
in and study the layout at his leisure. As for Tomoe's manor, as Mr. Jade, his alias for   
all legitimate business, he was the liaison between the former university professor and   
Stanton Aeronautical. During all of his visits to the Tomoe manor in order to check on the   
progress of the satellites being programmed, he was able to gather his reconnaissance on   
the manor.  
  
However, this Nijizuishou would be harder. He was going to have to go in without any   
foreknowledge of the house's layout. For all he knew, the crystal could be in the kitchen.   
After all, the secretary hid it there.  
  
Then again, she stole it, so she had to hide it.  
  
He couldn't afford to count out any possible hiding place.  
  
So. How to go about extracting the Green Nijizuishou?  
  
Jed popped open the trunk, then stepped out of the car. After a few minutes of searching,   
he found what he was looking for. Electronic lockpicking device, canister of sleeping gas,   
face mask... the rope can stay. He wanted to be in and out quickly, preferably without any   
confrontation. The sleeping gas and mask would help keep them asleep and out of his way.  
  
He gathered the equipment and shut the trunk, then opened the passenger door and dumped the   
stuff on the seat. He then closed the door, leaned against the car, and folded his arms as   
he began to mentally go through his plan. It was good, but it had one fatal flaw. He only   
had the one canister of gas. It was good for gassing one room only, so if there were more   
people staying at the house than just Tenou....  
  
He watched as a plume of white mist emitted from his nostrils after he snorted in   
frustration. He hated the cold. Staying out in this weather, waiting for midnight, was   
enough to put him in a foul mood. It was too damn COLD! But, he was a professional.   
Professionals didn't let inconsequential annoyances such as cold weather keep them from   
performing as they should. Professionals learned to ignore such petty discomforts and keep   
their attention to the task at hand. They were the best, and he was the best of the best.  
  
But, still....  
  
IT WAS TOO DAMN COLD!!!  
  
Thank goodness the rest of the Nijizuishou crystals weren't in any frigid climates such as   
this one. Maybe after he retrieved the Green Nijizuishou, he could take a short three day   
break in Okinawa before going after the Blue Nijizuishou. After all, if wasn't all that far   
from Tokyo - it was in the same country and that was good enough - and it was warm there.   
Warm was beginning to look very good right at that moment....  
  
Well, there wasn't much left to do at this point. He checked his watch and grimaced. There   
was nine more hours until midnight. That meant nine more hours in this freezing cold white   
hell.  
  
DAMN!!!  
  
Since he wasn't about to just sit in the car and wait with nothing to do but stare at snow,   
he decided to do the only thing he could think of when he had an abundance of time to waste   
and nothing better to do.  
  
He would sleep.  
  
Due to the number of times he had stayed in a car like this, waiting for midnight - well,   
not exactly like THIS; after all, it was too damn COLD - he had always kept a pillow and   
blankets in the back for whenever he needed to kill time. Besides, a well-rested mind was a   
sharp mind. When your mind was sharp while other minds were fuzzy with lack of sleep or   
from interrupted sleep, you had a slight advantage.  
  
Yes, sleep would be a good idea. He wouldn't have to stare at all the snow for hour after   
endless hour in the ungodly, gelid cold. It was a good thing he had brought several   
blankets. He wouldn't want to freeze to death in his sleep. That would certainly put a   
damper in his plans, not to mention that it would royally piss him off. Not that he would   
be able to do anything about it, of course, but still....  
  
He wrapped himself up in three layers of blankets as he laid down in the back seat of his   
car and rested his head on the pillow. He grimaced, as the pillow was almost as chilly as   
the snow outside. It would warm up in time, but right now, it only put an emphasis on how   
cold it was. Not that he needed a reminder. He didn't know what Tenou, who lived part time   
in Phoenix, Arizona - undeniably desert country, where summer highs went into triple   
digits - would want to live up here in Vancouver, where it snowed and was cold. Sure, the   
snow-covered landscaped looked nice and everything, but it was COLD!  
  
He set the alarm on his wristwatch for 11:00pm, giving him one hour to prepare for his   
assault on Tenou's home. Of course, he didn't have to go at midnight - sometimes, the later   
the strike, the better - but he always did his best work at midnight. He didn't believe in   
superstition, but there was just something about starting a job at the stroke of midnight;   
coinciding his work with the birth of a new day.... There was just something... poetic...   
in it.  
  
At any rate, his watch was set and he knew what he was going to do. He was as ready as he   
was going to be. He might as well get some sleep. The sooner he got started, the sooner he   
could finish and be out of this frozen nightmare.  
  
**********************************************  
  
To Chapter 29  
  
**********************************************  
  
Author's Note: Here's your new chapter! ^_^ I know it's a little shorter than you're used   
to, but I felt that this was a good stopping point. Anyway, please enjoy this latest   
chapter of Seeing Stars! Next chapter: Jack and Diane Plan for Jed's arrival; Tira's   
condition improves; and Jed makes his move for the Green Nijizuishou crystal.  
  
Disclaimer: All original materials belong to their respective   
owners. Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi and a bunch   
of big companies. No copyright infringement is intended. This   
story belongs to Moonsong and myself, and I would appreciate   
you emailing her or myself for permission before posting it   
anywhere else. Thank you.  
  
Prologue Copyright © January 24, 2000 Moonsong.  
Other Chapters Copyright © August 12, 2000 Jason Ulloa.   
All Rights Reserved. 


	30. Chapter 29

Seeing Stars  
By Jason Ulloa  
Original story by Moonsong  
Continued with her permission.  
Chapter 29  
  
"Read 'em and weep, Jack! Straight, nine high!"  
  
"Damn!" Jack growled as he tossed down his hand. "Beats my three of a kind."  
  
Diane couldn't help but smirk. "Three Jacks. How ironic." She glanced up at him and   
grinned. "Say, have you ever wondered what exactly a 'Jack' is? Kings and Queens are   
obvious, but what's a Jack?"  
  
He shrugged as he leaned back against the wall. "Hell if I know. Maybe it's another name   
for a Duke or something."  
  
She let out a small laugh. "The Duke of Hearts. That sounds stupid."  
  
"How's it going?" Haruka asked as she walked into the room. "Have you got him to bet his   
shirt, yet?"  
  
Diane grinned. When she had started teasing Jack again once they started playing, Haruka   
had found it very amusing. She even joined in on it for a short time, double-teaming the   
poor ex-cop. Haruka was pretty good at it, too. It was fun. "Not yet," she replied. "I've   
got him down to a buck-fifty, but if he loses the next two hands, I get his pants."  
  
Haruka chuckled as she noticed Jack's chagrined grimace. "Good luck, Diane. I'd ask to be   
dealt in myself, but as you can see, I've just finished making some final modifications on   
the Nightfire, so I'm gonna clean up." She gave them a quick, mischevious grin. "Of course,   
if you haven't completely stripped him by the time I come out, then you're gonna have to   
deal me in."  
  
Diane laughed as Jack shook his head ruefully. "You got it. Between the two of us, we'll   
have the poor sod down to his boxers in no time." Haruka laughed as she left to go take a   
shower.  
  
"We're not playing Strip Poker, Diane...," Jack began, but she cut him off.  
  
"What, afraid I'll clean you out?" she teased. "Oh, wait. I AM cleaning you out." She   
laughed again.  
  
"That's only because I'm not an expert at Poker," he countered. "Now, if we were playing   
Blackjack...."  
  
"Oh, is that a challenge, Jack?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Well, let's just say that I'd have you down to your bra and panties in no time," he   
replied confidently.  
  
"Is that so?" she retorted as she slammed down the deck on the carpet between them. "Then,   
deal, Hotshot. We're betting clothing now."  
  
Jack blinked. "Wait a minute...."  
  
"What's the matter?" Diane asked, raising an eyebrow insinuatingly. "Losing your   
confidence?"  
  
"I thought we were betting money...."  
  
"That was until you challenged me to Blackjack," she replied. "I'll have you know that I'm   
just as good at Blackjack as I am at Poker. Now, ante up."  
  
Jack sighed. When he suggested a game of cards to pass the time, he never expected that it   
would go THIS far. Well, perhaps this would be interesting. After all, knowing Diane's way   
of teasing, this was probably just a friendly game of Strip Blackjack - if Strip Anything   
could be considered friendly - but Diane being Diane, it was all in good fun.  
  
Besides, the opportunity to see Diane in her underwear was just too good to pass up.  
  
"Fine, then," he said as he shuffled the cards then dealt out their cards. Diane got a five   
and a King. He got a seven, but he didn't know what his face-down card was.  
  
"Hit me," she requested. She got a four. Nineteen. "I'll stay."  
  
Jack flipped his card over. Another seven. He drew another card. A third seven.   
"Twenty-one," he announced. "I win." Diane grumbled as she tossed him one of her shoes.  
  
"It's just a shoe," she said unflappably. "You can't win them all."  
  
"Of course," he replied understandingly as he dealt her a five and an Ace. His face-up card   
was a Jack.  
  
"Hit." A six. Twelve. "Hit." A nine. Twenty-one. She smirked. "Beat that."  
  
"Blackjack," he announced, flipping over an Ace. "I win."  
  
"Hmph," she snorted as she tossed him her other shoe. "I'd like to see you do that again."  
  
He dealt her a nine and a Jack. He got a three. "I'll stay."  
  
His second card was a Queen. Thirteen. Another card gave him a five. Eighteen.  
  
"Looks like I win," Diane said smugly.  
  
Jack shrugged. "So much for my streak," he said as he tossed her a shoe. "So, how're we   
going to go about guarding the gem?" he asked as he dealt her a pair of tens. He got a six.  
  
"Well, having one of us awake and guarding it at all times seems ludicrous," she said as   
she split her tens and tapped one of them. An eight. "Stay. I mean, we don't know when our   
guy will strike and we can't keep on guarding the Nijizuishou twenty-four-seven just   
because don't know when he'll come." She tapped the second ten. A four. Another tap. An   
eight. Twenty-two. "Bust."  
  
"Well, maybe we can just guard the Nijizuishou through the night in shifts," Jack suggested   
as he flipped over an Ace. Seventeen. "Looks like we both win one," he said as he tossed   
her his other shoe and received a sock in return.  
  
"Not a bad idea," she said with a nod. "Maybe we'll do that. Loser gets first watch?"  
  
"Deal," he agreed just as Haruka walked in wearing a shirt, jeans and a towel around her   
shoulders with slippers on her feet.  
  
"Aw, I was hoping to see someone in their underwear by now," she sighed disappointedly as   
she sat down in a chair nearby.  
  
"Not yet," Diane said confidently, "but I'll have him stripped down soon enough."  
  
"She'll be half-naked before I am," Jack shot back just as confidently as he smirked at her.  
  
"Really?" she drawled as she stood up and walked over to where they were playing. "I'm   
pretty good at Blackjack, myself. Deal me in?"  
  
As it turned out, Haruka was pretty damn good. Jack did get to see Diane in her   
underwear, however, that was only after Haruka had stripped him down to his boxers. In   
fact, he owed Diane his boxers since she had one more article of clothing than he did.   
Between them, they only managed to win Haruka's towel and slippers.  
  
After Haruka gave them back their clothing was when she revealed to them that she was also   
an expert Blackjack player.  
  
**********************************************  
  
"Oh, so our Sleeping Beauty awakens, eh?" Tira heard as her eyes slowly opened. Everything   
looked blurry, but her eyes slowly began to adjust. Blurs solidified into clearer shapes   
as she watched. A woman in a doctor's white coat stood over her, smiling.  
  
"Hmm?" she murmured as her gazed focused on the doctor.  
  
"My name is Doctor Yolanda Ceranti. How are you feeling, Miss Jenner?" the doctor inquired.  
  
"Tired...," she whispered. Her voice sounded weak. Then again, she felt weak.  
  
"You lost a lot of blood," Doctor Ceranti informed her. "Your body needed time to restore   
that blood, even with the transfusions we gave you."  
  
"How long...?"  
  
"A little over three days. You were very lucky that bullet didn't hit your heart or lungs.   
You might not have woken up then." She smiled congenially at her. "But you're alive now;   
that's what matters, right?" She then turned toward the monitoring devices that were still   
connected to Tira and looked over the displays.  
  
Tira tried to sit up, but she found that she didn't have the energy to get up. She could   
move her head, though, so she glanced around the room. "Jack...?"  
  
"Hmm?" the doctor said as she turned from the monitors. "Oh, I take it that's your   
guardian's name." She nodded to herself as she took out a piece of paper from one of her   
pockets and glanced at it. "Jack Terrance; yes, I believe that's correct. Anyway, he and   
Miss Diane Silver are in Vancouver right now taking care of some business or another."  
  
Vancouver. So, they're already there. Maybe they had found the Green Nijizuishou already.   
Or, maybe they've caught the man and are now coming back. Or, maybe the Green Nijizuishou   
was already taken and.... Tira shut her eyes and forced the thought from her mind. No, Jack   
was still all right. He had to be. Diane was with him. They would be all right.  
  
"I'm sure he'll be glad to know that you're all right, now," Doctor Ceranti said as she   
finished checking the monitors. "Everything looks fine and you should be well enough to   
leave the hospital within a few days."  
  
"A few days...," Tira repeated tiredly as her eyes slowly began to close. Well, Jack would   
certainly call about her sooner or later. She could tell him when he did. She hoped it was   
soon; he needed to know right away. Both him and Diane. The information was stored in her   
computer, so she wasn't....  
  
Her eyes snapped wide open. The file was open when she tripped over the plug and   
accidentally cut the power to the computer. All the modifications she had made to enable   
her access, decode, and read the file weren't saved. Even worse, the file itself might've   
been corrupted and could likely be unretriveable. She only remembered enough to give him a   
general idea of what Project: Ginzuishou was, but she could not remember the specifics   
without the file. If it was corrupted....  
  
"Is something wrong?" the doctor asked as she turned to leave. "You seem upset over   
something."  
  
Tira blinked, then lightly shook her head. No need to worry the doctor. There was nothing   
she could do until she got out of the hospital. If the file WAS corrupted, then she'd just   
have to download the file again. It might be a little more difficult if they had found out   
that she had hacked into their system, but there wasn't anything she could do about that.   
She'd just have to cope and try harder. Hopefully, it wouldn't have to come to that if the   
file was still intact.  
  
As the doctor left her room, she closed her eyes and tried to get some sleep. The more she   
rested, the faster she could recover. There wasn't much time. Jack and Diane needed to know   
what was really going on.  
  
**********************************************  
  
A high-pitched, irritating buzzer cut through his slumber like a knife. Then again, he   
wasn't sleeping very deeply. He tied not to sleep deeply just before a job. It cut down on   
his preparation time, otherwise.  
  
Jed tossed off the blankets and sat up. There was a slight crick in his neck, but   
otherwise, he felt fine. He stretched a bit and rolled his neck to work out all the kinks   
in his body from sleeping in such an uncomfortable position, then opened the car door.  
  
There was a lot of frost and ice on the car's windows, hood and roof. His breath came out   
in thick plumes of white, easily seen by the car's interior lights. He cursed softly as he   
quickly reached into the car and shut them off. Someone could've seen the light from the   
house if they were still awake. He couln't afford to be too careful.  
  
He reached into the car and brought out his equipment. The lockpicking device would go into   
his interior coat pocket; it would be harder for it to accidentally fall out of his pocket   
that way. The face mask and gas canister would be clipped onto his belt for easy reach.   
Besides, there was no where else to put them, since neither one could fit in his coat   
pockets.  
  
He grinned smugly to himself as he pulled out a ski mask from one of his coat pockets and   
slipped it on. It was perfect for covering his hair and facial features, save for his eyes   
and nose. Unless one knew what he looked like without the mask, one would be hard pressed   
telling that it was him behind the mask. However, that wasn't the reason why he wore it.  
  
It was just too damn cold to be out without one at night. His ears were already freezing.  
  
Once the ski mask was in place, he pulled out his gloves from the other coat pocket,   
slipped them on, then closed the car door before checking the time. 11:21pm. He was early.  
  
So far, so good.  
  
The soft crunching of snow being compressed underfoot accompanied him from the car as he   
ran through the trees, all the while making sure that he kept from sight from anyone   
watching from the house. The thicket was very dense, so he had very little trouble keeping   
hidden.  
  
As he drew closer, he slowed his approach until he came to a stop just a few yards away   
from the house. He glanced over the house's layout from room to room, or rather, what he   
could see right away. The house was laid out in an "L"-shape with the front door near the   
corner on the far side. The garage was on the end of that side of the house with the   
opening facing in the same direction as the front door. There were windows on both stories,   
most of them with their blinds up or curtains parted.  
  
Keeping low to the ground, he pulled out a pair of microbinoculars from his trouser pocket   
and peered through them. There was only one light on in the whole house, on the second   
floor nearest to him. He'd have to check that room last. He swept his binoculars from right   
to left, top to bottom, starting with the garage.  
  
The kitchen and dining room were near the garage, so he skipped by them quickly. Past the   
front door was the living room on the left side of the house. Due to his position, it was   
hard to look through the windows, but the room was dark anyway. That might be one place   
he'd have to search. The room above the kitchen didn't seem to have the look of a bedroom,   
he did manage to spot what looked like a model car. The two rooms in the corner seemed to   
be back-to-back bathrooms; maybe that last room used to be a bedroom? Finally, his gaze   
rested on the only lit room in the house.  
  
From the silhouette against the closed blinds, he could tell that the figure was a woman   
and she was changing for bed, since she had just pulled off a shirt over her head and had   
her hands behind her back as if she was unhooking a bra. From the silhouette's short hair,   
he assumed that it was Tenou. She had short hair and in a similar hair style.  
  
Good. If she was getting ready for bed, then he wouldn't have to worry about her. But,   
there was still the possibility that the Nijizuishou was in her room.  
  
So, there was three likely possibilities for the Nijizuishou's resting place: the living   
room; the second floor room on the far right; and Tenou's bedroom on the far left. He would   
start with the living room, then end with Tenou's bedroom. Simple. However, he would have   
to be careful. That white sedan he had seen earlier that day was still here, so he would   
have to act on the assumption that she had a guest, or guests, and he didn't know where   
they were. All he did know was that Tenou, herself, was in her room... at the moment. She   
wasn't asleep, yet.  
  
He checked his watch. 11:44pm. Sixteen minutes to midnight. He could wait. Besides, he had   
to give her time to relax into a deep enough sleep so that she wouldn't wake up right away.   
Then again, if worse came to worse, he still had the gas. Maybe he should put on his mask,   
just in case.... No. He had his ski mask on right now and it was cold out here. He would   
put it on after getting into the house, but not before. Both masks could not be worn at the   
same time.  
  
The light went out a minute after he checked his watch. Good. Fifteen minutes might be   
enough, but he'd wait until 12:30am just to be on the safe side. No sense wasting a   
canister of gas for aesthetic reasons. A job was a job. He sat in the cold, white snow and   
waited.  
  
**********************************************  
  
Jack sighed as he placed the Eight of Spades over the Nine of Diamonds. That was his last   
move; the deck would just give him the same sets of three over and over again. Solitare was   
annoying that way. Nothing to do but start all over again... for the fifteenth time. He   
tossed the other two cards in his hand onto the table and stood up from the chair in order   
to move around for a moment.  
  
He glanced over at Diane, who was asleep on the brown leather recliner as she shifted in   
the chair and drew the blanket tighter around her as her head moved closer to the right   
edge of the pillow. Haruka had suggested that she could sleep on the couch in the living   
room, since it could unfold into a bed - for when she had guests over - but she had decided   
to stay up here instead. That way, she wouldn't have to stumble up the stairs to stand her   
watch when it was her turn. At least, that's what she said. Personally, he would've chosen   
the bed, but that was just him.  
  
He still couldn't figure out how she managed to fall asleep so fast. He could've sworn she   
was out cold the moment her head hit the pillow. It was hard to tell, since she didn't   
snore. Tira, on the other hand, could wake a deaf man from a coma.  
  
A quiet sigh escaped his lips as he thought about her. Was she still in her coma? Had she   
woken up yet? The doctor said anytime now. Maybe he could try again tomorrow....  
  
"Mmm... damn cat...," Diane murmured as she turned over again. She may not snore, but she   
did talk in her sleep. She sometimes said the strangest things, too. What did she say that   
first night at the hotel? Some thing about a sailor suit and punishing someone? It sounded   
kinda kinky, but he wasn't about to ask her about it....  
  
"I don't wanna, Luna...," she murmured again. "It's your turn to dress up like a carrot."   
She shifted again and settled into a deeper sleep.  
  
'A carrot?' he thought as he blinked in perplexity. 'What kind of dreams does she have   
anyway?' Well, since it was nearing 12:30am, he had only an hour and a half to go before he   
had to wake her up for her turn.  
  
"Mmm.... Lower, Jack...," Diane moaned breathlessly. "Yes, that's it.... Now, get the   
whipped cream."  
  
"What?!?" he exclaimed, almost falling over in stunned surprise.  
  
**********************************************  
  
"Cut! You know that's not in the script, Serena!" Amy shouted irritably.  
  
"Aww, you're no fun, Amy!" she shot back as she sat up, grinning smugly as she glanced over   
at Darien, who was recovering from his shock. "I was just improvising...."  
  
"So you say," she muttered, frowning. "All right, let's try that one again...."  
  
"With or without the whipped cream?" Serena asked with a smirk.  
  
Amy didn't laugh, even though some of the crew did. "Without," she said, fighting the urge   
to laugh along with them, or even smile.  
  
"I think you wanna laugh, Anderson," Serena teased, grinned childishly. "Hey, Darien, what   
do you think?"  
  
"I think that last scene's getting added to the outtakes," he said as he sat back down at   
the table again. "And that someone needs a cold shower," he added, giving her a significant   
look.  
  
Now Amy laughed. "All right, all right," she said after controlling herself. "You've had   
your fun. No more improvising, or I'll make sure you get that cold shower," she added as   
she nodded over at Lita and Jason, who were watching the scene with similar looks of   
amusement.  
  
"With or without ice?" Lita asked as she and her brother both turned to leave.  
  
"With."  
  
"H-hey! You wouldn't!" Serena exclaimed, her eyes widening.  
  
"Not really, but I had you going, didn't I?" Amy asked, grinning.  
  
Darien laughed. "Too bad. That would've been something to see."  
  
"Keep talking like that, Shields, and I might consider doing some unpleasant things to you   
later," Serena said in a low tone as she frowned at him.  
  
"Um... right," he said as laughter instantly cut short.  
  
"Wow. Thouroughly henpecked already," Jason said, raising an eyebrow in surprise. "She   
works quick, doesn't she?"  
  
"Jason...," Lita muttered flatly as she rolled her eyes in chagrin.  
  
"What?" he asked as Darien scowled at him and Serena laughed.  
  
"I think it's time for a break...," Amy muttered tiredly.  
  
**********************************************  
  
'A carrot?' he thought as he blinked in perplexity. 'What kind of dreams does she have   
anyway?' Well, since it was nearing 12:30am, he had only an hour and a half to go before he   
had to wake her up for her turn.  
  
"Mmm.... Wait, Jack.... Don't go yet...."  
  
He paused for a second as he glanced down at her, watching for any sign that she was awake,   
then continued on his way after determining that she was talking in her sleep again.   
Nothing to worry about. Besides, he was just going to the bathroom.  
  
**********************************************  
  
12:30am. Time to get to work. The light in Tenou's room had been out for a good forty-five   
minutes, so she should be fast asleep by now.  
  
Jed dashed over to the front door and listened for the sounds of anyone snoring or stirring   
in the living room. Nothing. From what he could see through the windows, the room was empty   
anyway. So much, the better.  
  
He pulled out the lockpicking device from his coat pocket and bent down toward the keyhole.   
The device was simple: all he had to do was slip it through the keyhole and turn it on,   
then it would manipulate the springs inside so that it seemed as though he had inserted the   
door's key. Once the red light turned green, he could turn the device as if it was a key,   
then open the door.  
  
The light turned green, and the door opened smoothly. So far, so good. He removed the   
device and went inside.  
  
As he gently closed the door behind him, he removed the ski mask and put on the gas mask.   
As soon as he fit the mask in place, he pulled the straps tight around his head, then   
covered the air hole with his hand and breathed in. The clear plastic that served as his   
visor collapsed, indicating a proper air seal. No leaks. With that out of the way, he made   
sure his gas canister was loose enough on his belt to be ready when he needed it, but not   
loose enough to fall off his belt entirely.  
  
No mistakes. Not now.  
  
He quietly crept along the wall as he made his way toward the living room from the   
entrance. He kept an eye out for anything that might closely resemble the Nijizuishou. The   
search would be infinitely easier with a flashlight, but he didn't dare use one. If Tenou   
or someone else saw the light, then they would know something was wrong. After all, why   
would a guest need to use a flashlight if the lights were working just fine? At any rate,   
he had experience in using his night vision alone to navigate.  
  
A slow, careful scrutiny of the living room gave him no indication of the resting place of   
the Nijizuishou. So, perhaps it was upstairs?  
  
He paused at the staircase. House staircases were always pains to climb at night. The   
wooden ones always creaked. However, past experiences taught him a way to climb them   
without creaking. Very carefully, he gently lowered his foot down on the first step... and   
stood on the very edge of the step on his toes. He crouched down low and grabbed onto the   
fourth and fifth steps with his hands. As he pulled himself upwards, he climbed the steps,   
only allowing his toes to step on the very edge of the steps. It was a very hard way to   
climb, since he would instantly fall backwards once his hands lost their grip - it was   
mostly his arms doing the work of climb the steps, since his center of gravity was so far   
off-center - but he had practiced this often enough. He wouldn't fall.  
  
Once he reached the top, he slowly straightened himself. Going too fast would also cause   
the floor to creak, since he was shifting his center of gravity back to normal. Once he was   
finished, he glanced around carefully. Nothing out of the ordinary....  
  
Wait. There was a light coming from underneath one of the doors. One of the bathrooms, he   
assumed. So... someone was awake right now. He'd have to be even more careful.  
  
He quickly made his way to the other bathroom and slipped inside, then waited. A few   
moments later, the light went out and he heard a door close. The second room's door had   
been open, so that must've been the guest. One glance out the door confirmed it. The door   
was now closed. Well, that made things even more difficult.  
  
With a silent, internal sigh, he decided that a change in plans was in order. Tenou might   
be in a deep enough sleep for him to risk looking in her room first. As long as he didn't   
wake her....  
  
Very, very carefully, he stalked over to Tenou's bedroom door and gently pushed it open. He   
was fortunate that she didn't close it all the way, since that made things so much easier.   
He poked his head inside and slid his gaze around the room.  
  
There wasn't much there of any interest to him. Just stuff you'd find in any bedroom. No   
Nijizuishou.  
  
So, it was in the second room. Damn. He should've known it wouldn't be easy. He was going   
to need the gas canister after all.  
  
He slowly eased the door to Tenou's room closed and inched over to the other room. He   
removed the sleeping gas canister from his belt and looked down at it consideringly. He   
hoped that the guest was almost asleep by now. He didn't want to use it unless it was   
really necessary, since the gas wasn't quick acting. If the guest was awake, then they   
would probably have a good five minutes of consciousness before falling asleep for a good   
ten hours. It didn't seem like a lot of time, but a lot could happen in just five minutes.   
In his line of work, success or failure was measured in seconds... sometimes even   
milliseconds.  
  
Awake or not, he had to find the Green Nijizuishou crystal. If necessary, he would resort   
to the gun hidden in his ankle holster, but that was to be avoided if at all possible.   
Despite the old saying, dead men did tell tales, thanks to forensics. Juléi and Erwight   
were necessary, she knew too much even if she didn't really know what it was she knew - she   
became a potential risk once she stole the Nijizuishou, even if she thought it was just   
another jewel - and there was no telling what secrets he had learned from her... if she had   
even remembered any. No matter. They were just another pair of homicides.  
  
He raised his hand to the doorknob and turned it as he readied the gas canister. "Hmm?   
Haruka?" he heard a male voice call out from inside. He sounded wide awake. Oh, damn! He   
pulled out the pin and tossed the canister inside.  
  
"What the...?" the male exclaimed. "Diane! Diane! Wake up! Hurry, wake up!"  
  
Damn! There was more than more person in there. Oh, damn! On the bright side, he was   
beginning to sound a little less alert, so maybe the gas was beginning to take effect.  
  
"Huh...?" a female voice asked groggily. "What's going on, Jack?"  
  
Suddenly, the door to Tenou's room swung wide open. "What the hell's goin' on?!?" she   
exclaimed as she rushed out of her room.  
  
And things only went downhill from there.  
  
**********************************************  
  
To Chapter 30  
  
**********************************************  
  
Author's Note: New chapter! New chapter! Happy now? -_-; Hey, you try working 78-hour work   
weeks and tell me how much free time you have! And I don't even get paid overtime. Be glad   
you're not in the Navy. Being underway sucks. The water's nice and all that but you get   
sick of it REAL quick. Okay, enough of my complaining. I'm sure you don't care about that   
anyway. I know I only just touched upon Serena and Darien in this chapter, but I need to   
finish this part of the story before moving on. I'll see if I can get to them in the next   
chapter, but that's if I get this scene done first. Next chapter: The struggle for the   
Green Nijizuishou; Serena and Darien discuss the latest script changes at his apartment;   
and Serena meets Raye for the first time.  
  
Disclaimer: All original materials belong to their respective   
owners. Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi and a bunch   
of big companies. No copyright infringement is intended. This   
story belongs to Moonsong and myself, and I would appreciate   
you emailing her or myself for permission before posting it   
anywhere else. Thank you.  
  
Prologue Copyright © January 24, 2000 Moonsong.  
Other Chapters Copyright © August 12, 2000 Jason Ulloa.   
All Rights Reserved. 


	31. Chapter 30

Seeing Stars  
By Jason Ulloa  
Original story by Moonsong  
Continued with her permission.  
Chapter 30  
  
The odds seemed stacked in their favor with three uncertainties: they were at least three   
to his one; he did not know whether two of them were armed; and he had no knowledge of   
their self-defensive capabilities. However, those last two could also apply to him.  
  
On the other hand, he had two advantages on his side: they were still groggy from having   
just woken up; and he had the element of surprise. That last advantage he had experience in   
exploiting.  
  
He only had seconds to act. He had to take out Tenou before the others. Hopefully, the   
sleeping gas would slow the others down and keep them out of his way long enough for him to   
finish the job.  
  
Tenou came to an abrupt stop as she noticed a figure rushing her in the darkness. She   
quickly reached back to flip on the light switch to her room, which she had forgotten to   
turn on in her haste. That was all the opening he needed.  
  
The first strike was a sweep of the legs, since she was so off-balanced. She fell backward,   
which was exactly what he wanted. As she toppled backward, he quickly spun completely   
around and kicked her in the back of the head, snapping her head forward with enough force   
to almost simulate whiplash. As her body hit the floor, her head snapped backward again,   
striking the hardwood floor as her body bounced slighty from the force of the impact. She   
would more than likely be out from all those hard blows to her head, but just to make   
absolutely certain....  
  
He bent down and punched her across the face as hard as he could. He watched for a second   
to make sure she wasn't moving, then stood up. It was nothing personal; he just couldn't   
afford any mistakes at this point.  
  
The mental clock he kept in his head told him that he had wasted almost twenty seconds on   
Tenou. The others in the gas-filled room were still possible obstacles from his getting the   
Nijizuishou crystal. There was nothing for it but to go and check.  
  
He kicked the door open and paused in case the occupants were prepared to rush at him upon   
his entrance. However, no such attack came. Perhaps the gas had overwhelmed them quicker   
than he had hoped for? Or, was this a possible ambush? If it was an ambush, then maybe the   
Nijizuishou was in this room after all.  
  
Two possible choices of action were clear: wait until he was sure the gas had overwhelmed   
the occupants and take the crystal and leave at his leisure; or go in now and face possible   
ambush. The first choice was preferable, however, there was the possibility that there was   
a phone in that room where they could call the police from. Besides, he was fully alert and   
they were slowly falling victim to the sleeping gas.  
  
He didn't want to waste any more time. It would have to be now. Besides, the gas already   
had two minutes to work its effects onto them.  
  
As soon as he stepped through the door, one figure tried to rush at him. It was a clumsy   
attack, which was easily avoided. Still, the fact that this person could still attack while   
being affected by sleeping gas was very impressive.  
  
"You...," he heard a female voice murmur in a weak, tired voice. He turned toward the   
direction of the voice to see another figure reaching up toward the light switch and   
turning it on. The bright light was blinding, but he managed to keep his eyes on his two   
opponents. He could see that there were only two, and that one was the detective that he   
hadn't yet managed to kill. A perfect opportunity. Maybe he should consider using his gun,   
after all....  
  
"Who are you?" the woman demanded as she slowly turned toward him. "Are you the one who   
kidnapped Hotaru and Ryoku? Answer me, damn you!"  
  
Within the mask, his expression grew cold. So, that woman knows the Tomoe girl and her   
boyfriend, does she? But, how could she possibly suspect that he was the kidnapper,   
especially since his main objective was only the Nijizuishou crystals? Was it because of   
the detective? But, he only suspected him of the double homicide, not the kidnapping. So,   
how...?  
  
Without warning, he was suddenly tackled from behind. Damn that woman! How could he have   
allowed himself to be distracted like that?  
  
As the two tumbled across the floor, he easily twisted himself out of the other man's grasp   
and flung him across the room toward the woman. They both were slammed against the wall and   
finally knocked out cold.  
  
"About damn time...," he muttered to himself as he stood up again and scowled at the two.   
He started to bend down toward his right ankle, but stopped. "Count yourselves lucky that I   
have more pressing matters to tend to." With one last glare of contempt at the two, he   
turned his attention toward scanning the room for the Green Nijizuishou crystal. The   
crystal in question was sitting in a display case on one side of the room.  
  
"There you are," he said as he strode over to the case and brought out his lockpicking   
device. A couple of seconds later, the lock was picked and the contents of the display case   
were his for the taking.  
  
Four of the seven Nijizuishou crystals were now in his possession. It was time to go.  
  
As he left the room, he paused by the doorway where the two unconscious occupants lay   
sprawled out on the floor. He glared at both the detective and the woman. They were still   
out. He had the crystal now, so it would probably be best to take care of both of them now.   
  
A moaning followed by the sounds of someone stirring caught his attention. It was Tenou.   
Her chest was still rising and falling and she was slowly starting to come to. He frowned   
with slight vexation. On the one hand, it was good that she was still alive, since he hated   
unnecessary killing. On the other hand, it was going to be much more difficult to kill the   
woman and the detective, since Tenou would likely wake up soon.  
  
For now, he had a job to complete. Max wouldn't like him to skate off on his assignment   
just for such a small thing as killing a couple of nuisances. He'd always have another   
opportunity. He would let them live... for the time being.  
  
He turned the light off as he left the room.  
  
**********************************************  
  
"Okay, that'll do it for today!" Amy declared. "Great job! I'll see you all again tomorrow."  
  
"Hey, Lita, I guess we don't get to use the bucket of ice water, after all," Jason said   
with mock disappointment.  
  
"Yeah," she replied with a wistful sigh. "And I bet Darien was looking forward to seeing   
Serena with a wet T-shirt, too. Right, Darien?" she added with a teasing wink.  
  
Darien coughed slightly, but refrained from saying anything lest he get himself in troble.   
However, he did raise an eyebrow at her as if to ask her what in the hell she was talking   
about. She merely shrugged casually in reply.  
  
"Better watch it, Lita," Jason warned. "You might just give her ideas." At that, Lita   
started to laugh while Serena began to blush slightly. "Oh, I think she just got an idea!"   
he added, nudging his sister and pointing discreetly toward Serena. "Now the poor guy won't   
get any rest tonight." Serena's blush grew redder as Lita began to laugh even harder.  
  
"Hey, what's going on, Darien?" Tanya asked as she walked up to the small group. "Serena   
looks like she's about to die of embarrasment and Lita looks like she's about to die   
laughing. Did I miss something good?"  
  
"Well.... Remember Amy's threat with the bucket of ice water?"  
  
"What? Lita suggest a wet T-shirt contest or something?" she asked, tilting her head   
inquisitively.  
  
"...."  
  
"Don't tell me that I'm right!?!" she exclaimed in amused surprise. "I only said that as a   
joke."  
  
"Exactly," he pointed out. "That's the thing; Jason and Lita were teasing me about wanting   
to see Serena in a wet T-shirt and... well...."  
  
Now Tanya was starting to laugh. "Oh, this's good! Hey, I think I want in on this, too!   
Hey, Serena!" she called out as she walked over to the blonde actress and gave her a sly   
look.  
  
"Look at you," she said in a low, insinuating tone. "First, whipped cream; now, wet   
T-shirts? Aren't we starting to get a little kinky? Shall I see about getting you two some   
handcuffs as well?"  
  
"Tanya!!!" Serena exclaimed as her face turned an even brighter shade of red. "All right!   
That's enough out of the three of you! No more wet T-shirt jokes!"  
  
"So, shall we move on to bondage?" Tanya asked sweetly. Serena's glare screamed bloody   
murder. "All right, all right, I can take a hint. So, that's a no on the leather bodysuit,   
then?"  
  
As Amy looked up from unlocking her car door, she spotted two familiar figures running at   
a very high speed through the parking lot. Actually, it looked like the first figure was   
chasing the second.  
  
And she could've sworn she heard the phrase 'kick your ass' repeated more than once.  
  
With her infinite wisdom and patience, she knew that there was only one thing to do at a   
time like this.  
  
She climbed into her car, closed the door, started her car, and drove off, not giving the   
two a second look or a second thought.  
  
**********************************************  
  
"You could've said something, you know," Serena said as she rode in the passenger seat of   
Darien's car. "It wasn't all that funny."  
  
"Of course not," he agreed as he masterfully suppressed his urge to laugh at the memory.  
  
"So, did you get to read very much of the new script revision yet?" she asked as she pulled   
out the folded and bound stack of blue papers that made up their latest version of their   
memorized script. "I only got to see a few glances here and there."  
  
"Same here," he told her.  
  
There was silence for a few moments as he drove.  
  
"So... why did you want to come to my apartment?" he asked. "I mean, your place is so much   
nicer than mine... and bigger... and more expensive... and in a better neighborhood...   
and...."  
  
"Okay, I get the picture," she said, cutting him off with a laugh. "But still, it IS your   
home. Can I help it if I'm curious as to where you live? Well... at least, it's the way you   
live right now."  
  
"Right now?"  
  
"Well, yeah," she said a nod. "After all, you're playing in a big role with me, Serena   
Moon. How can this movie NOT be successful?" she added with a haughty laugh.  
  
"Of course," he said dryly.  
  
"Seriously, though," she continued, her laughter cutting off abruptly, "I'm sure this movie   
will do well. With your acting complementing my own so well, I'm positive that 'Total   
Ecplise' will be a smash. You'll be making more than enough money to live somewhere better   
than a small apartment."  
  
"You think so?" he asked as he started to pull over to the curb and park.  
  
"I've been in a few movies, Darien. I have a good feeling about this one."  
  
They both exited the car and closed the doors after locking them. Serena looked over the   
apartment complex with a slightly interested expression. "Hmm... not a bad place, Darien. I   
bet the rent's a little expensive, isn't it?"  
  
"Not really," he replied as he led her toward the complex. "The utilities can get costly,   
though."  
  
"So, which floor?"  
  
"Third."  
  
"This place got an elevator?"  
  
"Nope."  
  
Serena frowned slightly as she glanced toward the stairwell. It looked only wide enough for   
three people to walk abreast on both sides. "The move-in must've been hell."  
  
"It was," he agreed, nodding his head slightly. "I had to move most of my stuff by myself,   
too."  
  
"Poor baby," she said, hugging him and kissing him on the cheek. "Well, when you do move   
out, you can pay professionals to do it. Now, come on. Show me your apartment."  
  
"Sure," he agreed as he led her up the stairs and toward his apartment.  
  
"The apartments sure are close together," she observed as she followed Darien down the hall   
toward his apartment.  
  
"The walls are only about this thick," he said, spacing his thumb and index finger about   
three inches apart. "Sometimes I can hear what's going on in other apartments if it's   
really quiet." He stopped at a door with 308 on it and smiled. "Here we are. Home sweet   
home." He brought out his keys, unlocked the door, and opened it.  
  
"Wow!" Serena breathed as she glanced around the apartment. "It's... so clean. Are you some   
sorta clean freak, or something?"  
  
"Um...," Darien murmured, uncertain of how to answer that question. Well, maybe he was a   
little bit more concerned with cleanliness than the average male his age, but that was no   
reason to call him a clean freak. Even Andrew occasionally called him a clean freak. He   
resisted the urge to grimace.  
  
"I had a feeling your apartment was going to be small, but I never expected it to be THIS   
small," she commented as she sat on his couch-bed. "I mean, there's not even enough room   
to have a bed in here! I feel sorry for you having to sleep on a couch every night."  
  
"I have a bed," he corrected her.  
  
She pointedly glanced around the apartment. "Where?"  
  
"You're sitting on it."  
  
"It's a couch."  
  
"That turns into a bed."  
  
She nodded understandingly. "Oh. It's one of those."  
  
He walked over to his kitchen and opened his minifridge. "Care for something to drink,   
Serena?"  
  
"What do you have?" she asked as she stood up and wandered over to his bathroom.  
  
"Soda, milk, water, beer...."  
  
"I'll have that."  
  
Darien blinked. He hadn't meant to mention that he had beer - that was a small slip of the   
tongue - but.... "Beer?"  
  
"Yeah. What? Think I've never had an alcoholic beverage in my life?" she asked in a   
half-amused/half-irked tone. "I'm not a fifteen-year-old junior high school girl, Darien.   
Remember?"  
  
"Right," he agreed, then paused. "Um, I was also going to say that I had some good malt   
liquor as well...."  
  
"Really?" she said as she exited the bathroom. "Damn, Darien, you don't even have a   
bathtub in there?"  
  
"I don't mind showering all the time...."  
  
"Sure, but a tub is great for relaxing," she said, then smiled lasciviously. "Remind me to   
show you the next time you come to my place."  
  
"I'll be sure to make a mental note of it."  
  
"Let me see what you've got in there, Darien," Serena said as she walked over to where he   
was bent down in front of the minifridge. "Move over," she ordered as she gave him a quick   
spank in the rear, making him move over more from surprise than obedience. "Hmm... this   
one's pretty good. You've got good taste in liquor, Darien. Were you ever a bartender or   
are you just an alcoholic?"  
  
"Eh?" he asked as he stood up straight and stared at her with a confused look, then   
grinned. "I see how it is. So, is this your way of taking your work home, Serena? Acting   
like Diane?"  
  
"We're going to go over the new revision, aren't we?" she asked as she grabbed her bottle   
and opened it. "What better way to go through the new revision?"  
  
"I suppose," he acquiesed. "So, I guess you're gonna want me to start acting like Jack,   
right?"  
  
"If you want," she said as she took her first drink and smiled. "Now that's good stuff."  
  
He laughed silently to himself as he grabbed a bottle of the same drink and opened it. "To   
us," he said, raising his bottle in toast. "May our new relationship be long and wonderful."  
  
Serena clinked her bottle against his, then they both drank. "And may the sex always be   
spectacular," she added and laughed as he almost choked. "Oh, I think some of it's starting   
to come out your nose," she said while pointing and laughing.  
  
He grabbed a paper towel and wiped at his nose, then threw it away. "Anyway, I'll certainly   
drink to that last toast," he added and clinked his bottle against hers again.  
  
"Ah, but business before pleasure," she said as she waved her index finger in admonishment.   
"Come on, let's get to that script revision. G.Q. told me where most of the big changes   
were. Let's go over those first."  
  
"All right," he agreed as he grabbed his copy of the script from his pocket and tossed it   
onto the small table just outside the kitchen. "Pull up a chair and let's get to it."  
  
"Aw, I don't get to sit on your lap?" Serena pouted.  
  
"Whatever happened to business before pleasure?" Darien asked, raising an eyebrow as he   
folded his arms.  
  
"Have you never heard of compromising?" she asked.  
  
"Serena...."  
  
"Oh, all right. I'll be serious." She pulled up a chair and opened up her script next to   
Darien's. "So, which page are we starting on?"  
  
"How about the scene on page 256?" he suggested. "The hotel scene in Sydney?"  
  
"All right," she agreed as she flipped through the script. 'That scene.... Funny how I used   
to dread that scene because of how I felt about him before. But now....' A smile began to   
cross her lips. 'Now, I'm really looking forward to it.'  
  
When Darien suddenly blinked and read the page over again, her interest was quickly piqued.   
"What is it, Darien?"  
  
"Page 258, near to the bottom...," was all he said. But, he said it with the hint of an   
eager smile on his face.  
  
"Page 258?" she repeated as she turned to the indicated page. 'Must be something pretty   
good to get that reaction,' she thought as she scanned the page near the bottom... and   
halted after the first five lines.  
  
'This....' She read through the lines again. 'I've done scenes like this, but.... I've   
never done them... like this. But, at least it's with Darien, so it'll be okay. Hell, it   
might even be fun. No, it WILL be fun.' Now, she was smiling broadly.  
  
"Serena... um... can I ask you something?" Darien asked hesitantly.  
  
"I take it that it's about this scene," she said, the smile vanishing from her face. "I   
suppose you want to know how many scenes like this that I've done before, or something."   
She took a drink from her almost forgotten bottle, emptying it with that last pull.  
  
"Well, something along those lines, but not what you're thinking," he told her. "I already   
know you've done scenes like that. I've seen all your movies, you know."  
  
"You have, have you?" she said, giving him a wry look.  
  
"Well, I rented the ones I haven't seen when I started working with you," he admitted. "But   
that's beside the point. What I wanted to ask was whether you enjoyed those scenes that you   
did, or was it merely just professional?"  
  
"Jealous, are we?" she asked with an amused grin. "Fear not, my dear Darien. Each and every   
one of those times were purely professional. It is only with you that it'll be enjoyable as   
well."  
  
"That's good to hear," he said as he leaned over toward her for a kiss. The kiss lasted for   
a long time as the two momentarily forgot about the script and only concentrated on   
themselves.  
  
"Want to rehearse that particular scene?" he asked breathlessly after they broke the kiss.  
  
"Finish your drink first," she told him. "I won't have you wasting perfectly good liquor.   
If you don't want it, then I'll have it."  
  
"You want another one?" he offered.  
  
"Only if you're gonna have another," she replied. "I don't want to be the only one   
drinking here. It'll look like you were trying to get me drunk, even if it's this stuff.   
Not that you can't get drunk off this stuff, but it IS only 20% proof."  
  
"All right, I'll finish it."  
  
"Hey, let's see you down it in one go," she suggested.  
  
Darien smirked. "Watch me," he said as he raised the bottle up and drank the entire   
bottle's contents, then slammed it down onto the table, empty.  
  
"Bravo!" she said while applauding his feat. "Couldn't've done better myself."  
  
"You've chugged liquor before?"  
  
"Don't act so surprised. Nothing says that I have to act perfect all the time. I like a   
good party and a good drink, just like any other woman. I like to have a good time, just   
like any other woman. When it's all said and done, Serena Moon is just like any other   
woman. The only thing is that Serena Moon, the actress, has to be perfect, since there are   
people who might look up to her as a role model. I only act this way in private, with my   
friends. Just ask Tanya; she'll tell you that I can have just as much fun as anyone else at   
parties."  
  
Darien nodded. Of course, she didn't have to be perfect all the time. It was just that he   
had never known that this side of Serena existed. No wonder her role as Diane came so   
easily to her. At least it was great knowing that she trusted him enough to show him that   
side of her. After seeing her in this light, she began to become less and less of an   
actress in his eyes, and more and more like an ordinary woman who happened to be a highly   
successful actress. And it made him love her all the more.  
  
Just as he was about to suggest 'rehearsing' that scene again, someone began to knock at   
his apartment door. "Damn.... Just when we were getting to the good part...," he muttered   
irritably.  
  
"Don't answer it," she suggested as she kissed him on the cheek and slowly drew her hand   
seductively down his other cheek. "They'll go away soon enough. It's not like it's anyone   
important, right?"  
  
"Probably not, but I'd rather just answer it now and get it over with," he replied. "I   
don't wanna be rude to whoever's out there. After all, for all we know, it could be Andrew   
paying me a visit."  
  
Serena sighed and made a show of pouting. "Oh, fine then. Just don't be too long. I'll be   
waiting," she purred as she stood up, then glided over to the couch-bed, walking in the   
most alluring way she could, gracefully swaying her curvaceous hips back and forth while   
giving him a steamy, sensual look as she slowly settled onto the couch to wait.  
  
The knocking continued twice before Darien could snap out of his enchantment.  
  
"I thought you were going to answer the door," Serena pointed out, grinning widely as she   
noticed the slight flush in Darien's cheeks.   
  
"I was getting to it," he retorted as he composed himself and turned to answer the door.   
"It's just that your beauty is very... distracting."  
  
"Really...?" she drawled slowly, thoroughly enjoying herself.  
  
Darien turned the doorknob in the middle of the visitor's fourth knock. "Yes? Who is it?"  
  
"Hello, Darien. I just thought I'd stop by to say hi and see how you were doing."  
  
"Raye?" he said, blinking in surprise.  
  
"Yes, it's me," Raye said as she raised an eyebrow. "Were you expecting someone else?"  
  
"Not really...."  
  
"Mind if I come in for a little bit?" she asked. "I promise I won't be too long."  
  
Darien grimaced slightly. "Actually...," he began hesitantly.  
  
"What's taking so long, Darien?" Serena asked with a smile as she came to the door and slid   
up beside him. Her expression didn't change when she noticed Raye, but Darien could've   
almost sworn that he could feel her body stiffen subtly. "Darien... who's this?"  
  
The fact that Serena's smile didn't disappear when she met Raye was disconcerting enough,   
but now that Raye had seen Serena... she started to smile. And he knew that smile. That was   
the smile she usually wore whenever an unexpected opportunity suddenly popped up   
unexpectedly.  
  
Suddenly, he had an urge to go drink not only that second bottle, but a third.  
  
And a fourth.  
  
And then, a fifth.  
  
Then a sixth, just to be absolutely sure.  
  
"Darien told me that he was working with you, but I never thought that I'd actually get to   
meet you," Raye said, extending a hand to Serena congenially. "I'm Raye. Raye Hino."  
  
"It's a pleasure," Serena said in a measured, yet polite tone. "So, how do you and Darien   
know each other?"  
  
"We used to date," she replied bluntly.  
  
"Really...?" To say that Serena's slow, deliberate drawl was noticeably different was to   
say that, when compared to a light drizzle, a monsoon was noticeably different.  
  
And to say that he was thoroughly screwed at this moment would be one hell of an   
understatement. 'Somewhere, Fate must be laughing its ass off at me right now,' he mentally   
groaned.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry," Raye said apologetically. "Was I interrupting anything?"  
  
"Well...," Darien began.  
  
"Not really," Serena told her.  
  
'Ouch.' He mentally winced.  
  
"Then, would you two mind if I came in?" she asked. "I was in the neighborhood and I   
thought I'd pay Darien a short visit."  
  
"Not at all," Serena replied, smiling. "Come on in."  
  
"Sure," Darien added faintly. "Come on in."  
  
Both women glanced at him almost as if they were surprised that he was still there.   
"Thanks," Raye said as she came in. "I promise that I won't be too long."  
  
'It'll still feel like forever, though,' Darien despaired as Raye closed the door behind   
her.  
  
**********************************************  
  
To Chapter 31  
  
**********************************************  
  
Author's Note: And now we're back to Serena and Darien again! And Raye, too! Current   
girlfriend has met ex-girlfriend and all Darien wants to do is drink himself under the   
table. Can you blame him? Damn, I almost feel sorry for putting him through this, but I   
never said that I'd go easy on him, did I? ^_^ One more thing, thanks to Aglaia of FF.net   
for pointing out a continuity error in my previous version of this chapter. I hate it when   
I make errors like that, but I guess that's what happens when you rush. Next chapter:   
Serena and Raye get to know each other a little bit; more fun with Lita, Jason and Amy; and   
Darien decides to find out a little bit more of Serena's past.  
  
Disclaimer: All original materials belong to their respective   
owners. Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi and a bunch   
of big companies. No copyright infringement is intended. This   
story belongs to Moonsong and myself, and I would appreciate   
you emailing her or myself for permission before posting it   
anywhere else. Thank you.  
  
Prologue Copyright © January 24, 2000 Moonsong.  
Other Chapters Copyright © August 12, 2000 Jason Ulloa.   
All Rights Reserved. 


	32. Chapter 31

Seeing Stars  
By Jason Ulloa  
Original story by Moonsong  
Continued with her permission.  
Chapter 31  
  
What started out as a really great evening was soon downgraded to VERY uncomfortable. This   
was a situation that he had been hoping... no, praying that would never occur. So much for   
that.  
  
His girlfriend and ex-girlfriend had just met and they were now sitting in what passed for   
his living room, bedroom, dining room, etc. - Serena on the couch and Raye on one of the   
chairs - each eyeing the other speculatively. Oh, sure, they were all smiles, but there was   
something behind those smiles.  
  
He sighed. Why couldn't this have at least happened tomorrow?  
  
Serena grinned cordially while she seethed mentally. Why did this woman have to show up   
NOW, of all times? Was she still trying to win Darien back? Did he have any feelings left   
for her? Why didn't he tell her about Raye? Wasn't she his girlfriend now? Was she just   
persistant, or was he encouraging her slightly?  
  
That last thought was the cause of her current emotional state. What was worse was that   
this, in a way, was almost like the way that she lost Seiya. Or rather, it was beginning to   
look like it.  
  
Well... not this time. She lost Seiya because she thought that he had loved her and would   
never betray her. She wasn't going to let another woman steal the man she loved yet again.   
Oh, hell no. Not this time.  
  
Raye smiled at the look in Serena's eyes. Sure, she was smiling, but she could tell that   
she getting upset. But was she upset at her, or Darien? Both, perhaps? Her getting upset at   
Darien was one of her goals, which would hopefully lead to the dissolution of their current   
relationship. That was her main goal. That, and winning Darien back for herself.  
  
It was sheer fortuitousness that brought her here at the same time as Serena. She had   
originally planned to initiate her plan to endear herself to Darien as a friend who would   
be there for him, while trying to plant seeds of doubt about the sincerity of his   
relationship with the blonde actress. After all, how stable was a relationship with a movie   
star? Those kinds of relationships often declined and crumbled after a year, at the least.   
So, he'd have a year of happiness. Then what?  
  
She knew he was the kind of person that was looking for more than that, and celebrities   
often had a habit of putting careers before their significant others. Sure, he'd   
understand, but after a while, he would start to resent it. That's when things would start   
to collapse. And that's when she - as his friend - would be their for him during his time   
of need. And if she were to mention that he could always go back to her.... Well, she was   
different now - she had told him so many times - so, hopefully he wouldn't remember a time   
when she had left him for such petty reasons.  
  
She had learned her lesson. This time, things would be much different.  
  
A quick glance in Darien's direction showed her how uncomfortable the poor guy was. 'Sorry   
Darien,' she sighed mentally. 'I don't want to make you feel like this, but hopefully one   
day you'll understand. She'll leave you as soon as you begin to get in the way of her   
career. I wouldn't do that to you. You don't see that now, but you will soon enough.'  
  
"So, Darien," she said as she turned toward him and softened her smile, "how is that movie   
you and Miss Moon working on?" She figured that she'd better play the respectful type so   
that he would see that she wasn't trying to antagonize her... well, not deliberately. That   
way, there was no way that their eventual break-up could be pinned, even in the slightest   
way, on her. That would ruin her chances for sure.  
  
Serena blinked. Was she mistaken? Maybe that woman WAS just trying to be friends. Was she   
overreacting over nothing? But, this could just be a trick. Oh, things were never this   
complicated when she was with Seiya. But then, she had never worried about such things as   
other women trying to steal her boyfriend. Damn!  
  
Darien blinked, simply because the women had finally remembered that he was there. So far,   
he had been trying to abide by the first rule of When Girlfriends Meet Ex-Girlfriends, as   
was taught to him by various friends by their various experiences. Even though all the   
stories were different, they all agreed on one thing.  
  
Do NOT get in between a confrontation between your girl and your ex. Even the bravest man   
would tread lightly in that scenario.  
  
"It's doing well, so far," he replied simply. "There aren't any delays other than the usual   
repeating of scenes for fixing mistakes, trying different camera angles, and the other   
usual things."  
  
Raye nodded. She had expected as much. Living near Hollywood, you tended to learn a few   
things about the movie industry which was more common knowledge than what someone outside   
the L.A. area, or more likely, outside California would know. Not that she wanted to be an   
actress. Oh, sure, back in high school, it sounded like fun, but as she drew closer to   
graduation she began to focus more on a career at singing. It was just too bad that she   
didn't have much of a career at the moment.  
  
"Miss Moon...."  
  
"Serena," she corrected. She'd give her the benefit of the doubt... for now. But the moment   
she suspected that she was trying to win Darien back.... "Miss Moon is way too formal for   
my taste."  
  
Raye nodded again and smiled. "Serena, can I ask how you and Darien got together?" She then   
glanced toward Darien. "If you don't mind, that is."  
  
Darien exchanged glances with Serena. She nodded faintly, which he took as a sign that she   
didn't mind. "You remember when I told you that I got fired from the 'White Rose' shoot?"  
  
Raye grimaced. That was when she had left him. If she could, she would've kicked herself   
for doing something so stupid.  
  
"I take it you remember. Anyway, I got fired because I had tripped over a cord that one of   
the audio grips had suddenly pulled tight, causing me to lose control over the tray of   
drinks I was carrying."  
  
"The worst part was that I happened to have been walking toward the set at the time of the   
accident," Serena added. "I got hit with everything - soda, water, tea, coffee, everything.   
And the worst part was that I was wearing my favorite Anna Sui ensemble when it happened."  
  
Raye stared. "All that.... It's a wonder you didn't kill him!"  
  
Serena smirked. "It was a good thing that someone had restrained me, or I would've killed   
him." She smiled over at Darien, then turned back to Raye. "In the end, I had him fired   
and immediately escorted off the set." She shook her head. "In retrospect, I shouldn't   
have done that, even if I was pissed beyond belief. It really wasn't his fault the sound   
guys weren't watching to see if anybody was walking over the cable. But I didn't care. My   
dress was all but ruined and someone had to PAY!"  
  
"After I got fired, Mina called me up, telling me to drop my current job and take this new   
role she landed me," Darien continued. "Apparently, word of my firing hadn't reached her as   
of then. As it turned out, she got me this little minor role in this movie starring none   
other than Serena Moon. At the time, I was so shocked about working with the same actress   
who probably wanted my head, that I didn't immediately realize the boost my career would   
be receiving with this role. However, since I was still on autopilot from the shock of   
hearing Serena's name again, that I agreed to it without thinking."  
  
"When I first saw Darien again, I was so pissed off to find him not only on the same set as   
I was, but near the craft services table as well," Serena continued again. "At the time,   
my mind was thinking Darien plus drinks equals another ruined outfit. So, I tried to have   
him fired again. When I discovered that he was under contract, I got royally pissed and I   
threatened to make his life a living hell. Of course, I didn't really mean it, but at the   
time, I wanted to torment the man.  
  
"After a while, I started letting up on the guy, mostly because he was so insistant upon   
redeeming himself. I mean, he even went as far as to buy me lunch," she added, smirking   
slyly at Darien, who just grimaced in return. "So, I decided to give him a second chance.   
After all, he did say he wanted to repay me for the dress he ruined.  
  
"Then, I saw him act for the first time." Serena paused and smiled partly to herself. "It   
was surprising, considering that he hadn't done much acting of that caliber, if any."  
  
"Melvin and Amy, the producer and director of the movie, both thought that I did well   
enough to include my character in enough of the movie to make my supporting actor role a   
co-star role instead," Darien told her as he bent down to his fridge. "Drink?"  
  
"Soda, please," Raye requested.  
  
"Same here," Serena requested.  
  
Darien nodded and grabbed three cans out of the fridge and handed each girl their soda,   
making sure to give Serena her soda first. Raye noticed this and mentally sighed.  
  
"So, what about after that?" she asked, taking a drink.  
  
"Well, I decided that I'd try to take Serena out to lunch again, as another gesture of   
goodwill toward her," Darien continued. "She let me take her wherever I wanted, so I ended   
up taking her to the Crown."  
  
"The Crown?!?" Raye exclaimed. "What did Andrew say?"  
  
"He was absolutely thrilled to be able to meet one of his favorite actresses," Darien told   
her. "I don't think he was sure who did the favor to whom at the end."  
  
Raye laughed a bit. "I can imagine."  
  
"So, after that, I came to respect Darien more," Serena continued. "I think it was after   
the second visit to the Crown, on what was to be our first 'real' date, that I started to   
fall in love with him."  
  
Raye nodded. "Those must've been pretty memorable dates," she remarked. 'I bet I had   
better,' she thought jealously.  
  
"They were," Darien said as he finished his soda.  
  
**********************************************  
  
Amy rang the doorbell for the second time, but still no one had answered the door. She knew   
the twins had to be home. Their car was parked in the driveway, after all. Well, maybe she   
could look inside and see where either one of them were at right now.  
  
As she peeked through one of the open windows, she noticed that their was a door open,   
which more than likely lead to the back. There was a paved path leading to the back of the   
house, so she followed that. As she drew closer to the back, she could hear the sound of   
fighting. No, wait. This sounded more muted. Ah, the twins must be sparring in the back.   
So, that's why they couldn't hear her.  
  
Lita had told her that she usually left the gate to the back unlocked whenever they were   
back there, in case someone - like herself - wanted to come back there to visit with them.   
She had no problems opening the gate and closing it behind her.  
  
Amy immediately caught sight of the two Evans twins upon entering the back. They had set up   
some twenty foot by twenty foot ring - which was actually a square - and were currently   
trying to knock the other out of the ring.  
  
It was like a choreographed dance, just like Jason had told her a long time ago. Each   
punch, kick, turn, block, and dodge was like a dance step, each one moving fluidly to the   
next without stoping. Each twin moved with such swift grace and intricacy that she found   
herself staring in awe.  
  
At least, until Jason spotted her watching from beside the house. That was when Lita   
connected a solid roundhouse kick to the side of her twin brother's head. Since he was   
distracted, he hadn't prepared himself to take the hit, like all stuntpersons like himself   
were trained to do. The force of the kick spun him around and caused him to lose his   
footing. As he was currently at the edge of the square-shaped ring, he stumbled off of the   
ring and tumbled down to the ground.  
  
"Ow...," he muttered painfully as both Lita and Amy rushed to his side to help him get to   
his feet, as he was still dazed.  
  
"Are you all right?" Amy asked, worried and slightly guilty for distracting him and   
causing him to get hit like that.  
  
"Aw, he's had worse hits to the head, Amy," Lita said as she jovially clapped her brother   
on the shoulder. Of course, that was after she was certain that he was showing no visible   
signs of concussion. She and her brother had had their fair share of those, so she did   
know something of what to look for. "I'm just sorry you had to see him get beaten up by   
his sister. The poor guy must be embarrased."  
  
Jason glared at her. "Who says you beat me?" he retorted, raising an eyebrow. "I could've   
dodged that kick easy if I hadn't...." He paused for a moment. "Um, not that it was any   
fault of yours, Amy," he quickly added, turning toward her. "I just hadn't expected to   
see you there right then."  
  
"So, your getting distracted WAS your fault, after all?" Lita asked, grinning as she   
poked him playfully in the back.  
  
"...oh, shut up," he muttered as he turned toward a bench where a pair of towels were   
hanging. The bench was mainly for whenever they had a group of friends over and they wanted   
to watch a demo of a fight scene from a new movie coming out, or something along those   
lines. Occasionally, some of his colleagues would come over and they would have a little   
practice match, usually for bragging rights.  
  
He picked up his towel and tossed Lita hers, then turned to Amy as he wiped the sweat off   
his face. "So, what brings you here, Amy? Come to pay us a little visit?"  
  
"Or did you come to pay HIM a little visit?" Lita asked, smiling mischeviously.  
  
"Well...," Amy began, smiling a little bashfully. "I guess...."  
  
"Ah! Well, don't mind me, then," she said as she started for the house. "I'm gonna go take   
a shower. Make yourself at home."  
  
As Lita went into the house, Jason gestured toward the bench. "Would you like to take a   
seat?" he asked.  
  
She nodded, then sat down near the middle of the bench. She glanced up at him, then frowed   
as she noticed that he wasn't sitting down. "Don't you want to sit?"  
  
He blinked for a moment, perplexed. "Um... I'm a little sweaty and I didn't want to...."  
  
"It's all right," she said as she shook her head and smiled at him. "I don't mind." She   
patted the part of the bench next to her. He blinked again, then nodded and sat down next   
to her. "Were you sparring long?"  
  
"Hmm? Oh, not really. Lita and I only started about an hour ago." He paused for a moment.   
"I had a couple of ideas in my head for the movie, but I think I'd better run them past   
Lita first. She'd probably think of something to add or something better altogether."  
  
Amy just nodded. "That's nice.  
  
Jason grimaced. "Oh, sorry. Didn't mean to talk shop with you, Amy. My mind wanders on   
occasion when I relax."  
  
She laughed. "So I've noticed," she said and playfully bumped into him with her shoulder.   
He grinned as he bumped her back. She leaned to bump him again, but he leaned away at   
just the right moment to cause her to lose her balance and fall over onto his lap.  
  
"You cheated," she said as she stared up at him.  
  
"You started it," he replied childishly.  
  
Her smiled widened. "Did not."  
  
"Did too."  
  
"Did not," she said as she pushed herself back up.  
  
"Did too," he said as he started to lean toward her.  
  
"Did-" She cut off as his lips met hers in a kiss. As the kiss ended, she opened her eyes   
and smiled. "Well... just for that, maybe I'll forgive you."  
  
"Hey, I've got an idea," he said as he leaned forward and stood up. "Why don't we go out   
do something tonight? Just the two of us."  
  
Amy's smile widened. "That sounds great. Where're we going?"  
  
He paused to think about it, then grinned playfully. "Wanna go see a movie?"  
  
She looked askance at him. "A movie, Jason?"  
  
He shrugged. "It was just a suggestion." He frowned in deep thought for a moment. "How   
about we go to one of those really fancy restaurants up in L.A.? You know, the kind   
where you have to dress formal?"  
  
"That sounds good, but how about if we go see a play as well?" she suggested.  
  
Jason blinked and tried very hard not to grimace. "A... play?" he repeated faintly.   
He didn't care much for plays. They were boring.  
  
Wait. No, they weren't boring. They were BORING!  
  
Amy stood up and clasped her hands together eagerly. "Oh! I just remembered! There's   
an opera that's showing in L.A. tonight that I've been wanting to see for a long time!"  
  
Jason blanched and struggled VERY hard not to grimace. "An... opera?" He didn't like   
plays at all. If given the option, he would chose to sit through seven plays and pay   
strict attention - he'd even jot down notes, if he had to - rather than sit through   
ONE opera.  
  
She nodded. "Yes. There's no reservations needed, but it's formal, so we'll have to   
hurry if we want to catch it." She took his arm and smiled lovingly up at him. "That is,   
if that's okay with you. Do you want to go, Jason?" she asked sweetly.  
  
Damn. She had to go and use THAT tone of voice. Normally, he would've tried his best to   
persuade her to consider something else, something that she would enjoy doing more and   
wouldn't bore him to death, for example. But, after using that sweet entreaty, bordering   
almost on a pout - now, that would be something he'd love to see; he'd bet that she'd   
look so cute pouting - his defenses were starting to crumble. No, they WERE crumbling.   
  
No, strike that. They were destroyed. Dust. Gone. He never had a chance.  
  
"Sure," he agreed, making sure that his reluctance didn't show in his voice and stifling   
a sigh. Dammit, Love plays dirty!  
  
"Yes!" Amy said happily as she hugged him tightly. "Oh, I'm getting so excited!"  
  
Operas were plays with three times as much singing, and in a language that he couldn't   
comprehend, nor wanted to. And they were so damn DEPRESSING, too!  
  
And he was about to go see one.  
  
Well, her hug and the love dancing in her eyes when she looked at him when he agreed   
made it worthwhile.  
  
"I'm gonna go see if Lita's finished with the shower, yet," Jason said as he headed for   
the house. "While I shower, can you pick an outfit for me? I want to get ready quickly,   
since I know you're going to want enough time to get ready." He paused and glanced back   
at her. "When's the opera going to start?"  
  
"In four hours," she replied after a bit of thought.  
  
"More than enough time," he said. 'Then again, Lita always tends to take quite a bit of   
time when getting ready for formal events...,' he thought to himself. 'Well, even so,   
four hours should be enough. After all, Amy doesn't have long waist-length hair, so she   
shouldn't take THAT long, right?'  
  
"Are you sure?" she asked, not quite convinced.  
  
He grimaced. Somehow, he almost saw that one coming.  
  
"I'll make sure we get there on time," he promised.  
  
Oh, yeah. Vikings. Operas tended to have vikings in them somewhere or another. And a fat   
lady. After all, wasn't that where they got that expression from?  
  
Couldn't she have chosen a play instead? Oh, well. He'd just have to grit his teeth and   
take it like a man.  
  
Before that, he'd just moan and whimper in the privacy of his shower first.  
  
**********************************************  
  
After Raye had left, Darien felt relieved. The whole thing didn't turn out as badly as   
he had expected. It certainly put a crimp into their whole evening, but at least nothing   
terrible had happened. Maybe Raye really was finally over him. At least she wasn't trying   
to win him back anymore.  
  
"Something wrong?" he asked after he tossed the rest of the bottles and cans into the   
trashcan and walked over to where Serena was sitting on the couch, watching TV. Her   
expression was pensive, as if she was brooding over something.  
  
"Nothing," she replied with a small sigh. "I'm just glad that she's gone now."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Don't get me wrong, Darien. I don't dislike her, but the fact of the matter is that she   
IS your ex-girlfriend." Her expression darkened faintly. "I get a little wary of the   
'other woman', especially considering the last relationship I was in."  
  
"The last...," he began, then stopped as he realized what she meant. "Oh."  
  
Serena nodded. "Yeah. Oh." She shook her head as she turned off the TV. "I got totally   
shafted in that relationship, Darien. My heart was his and he threw it away for the   
'other woman'. And you know why?"  
  
Darien shook his head.  
  
She leaned forward, put her elbows on her knees and her head in her hands. She tried   
to fight it, but tears were threatening to come out. Memories were resurfacing and   
scratching at her heart. All because of what could have happened.  
  
"All because she convinced him that I would've dumped him first if I had the chance,"   
she told him. "She convinced him that I was just another one of those actresses that   
would use him, then dump him whenever something better came up. And he believed her!   
That idiot believed HER! I begged him, pleaded with him, but he saw it all as an act.   
He coldly spurned my love and abandoned me for that 'other woman'!"  
  
Tears were coming now, but she let them come. After all, it was Darien she was crying   
in front of. He loved her, not that other woman who had left just a short time ago.   
Her. He wouldn't leave her because he felt that she would dump him first, right? Right?  
  
Darien slipped his arms around the sobbing blonde and held her. It seemed like every   
time he saw her, there was a new side to her that he had never seen before coming out.   
And each time he experienced another part of Serena, it only made him love her more.   
After all, she was willing to bare herself to him. What more could a man ask for in   
the woman he loved?  
  
He was simply content to hold her in his arms until she was ready to leave them.   
Hopefully, that wouldn't be for quite a while.  
  
**********************************************  
  
To Chapter 32  
  
**********************************************  
  
Author's Note: I know it's been a long time. But sometimes, one must stop everything   
and deal with the pains and woes of reality. The long and short of it is this: I've   
just recently been diagnosed as having been infected with tuberculosis, but fortunately,   
the disease caused by the TB bacteria wasn't present in my body. I'm now on medication   
which will last 9 months. I've learned that my grandfather died on Easter morning, but -   
as callous as it sounds - it's not much when confronted with the possibility - albeit not   
too great; about a 1% possibility of contracting the disease - of one's own mortality.   
I've heard people bitch and moan about 'Oh, I'm resigned to the fact that I may die one   
day,' but frankly, that BS doesn't fly with me no more. Go contract a life-threatening   
disease, THEN whine about being resigned to your eventual death. I've come to terms with   
what life has dealt me, and I'm not about to let some small possibility of dying stop   
me. I've done my brooding, thank you. Been there, done that, got the T-shirt, gave it   
to my sister, had it returned and got my money back. I've returned to my fic writing,   
a better man... or at least, not any worse off than when I started. Well, at any rate,   
I'm currently trying to figure out where in the hell this fic is currently going. I   
know where it's going to end, and I know the general direction of where I want to go,   
but to get from here to there.... Well, I'm working on it. Next chapter: Back at work,   
Jason recounts his torturous opera experience to his friends; Jack and Diane wake up to   
find the Green Nijizuishou gone; and Jack learns of Tira's recovery.  
  
Disclaimer: All original materials belong to their respective   
owners. Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi and a bunch   
of big companies. No copyright infringement is intended. This   
story belongs to Moonsong and myself, and I would appreciate   
you emailing her or myself for permission before posting it   
anywhere else. Thank you.  
  
Prologue Copyright © January 24, 2000 Moonsong.  
Other Chapters Copyright © August 12, 2000 Jason Ulloa.   
All Rights Reserved. 


	33. Chapter 32

Seeing Stars By Jason Ulloa Original story by Moonsong Continued with her permission.  
  
Chapter 32  
  
"It was that bad?" Darien asked, his eyebrows creasing in disbelief.  
  
"Well, not THAT bad, but I still think that seppuku would've been preferable to dying from boredom," Jason grumbled.  
  
"Seppuku?" he repeated quizzically, exchanging a look with G.Q., who just shrugged.  
  
"Hmm? Oh. Hara-kiri. More familiar with that term?" Darien nodded. G.Q. nodded, then shrugged indifferently. "Good. Well, can you see my point? Nothing but singing, singing, and more singing, loudly and in a foreign language with Vikings and fat ladies aplenty. It might've been considered a popular form of entertainment back when a man wearing lace wasn't considered to be a fruit, but in these modern times, it just isn't the same."  
  
"I... see...," Darien said, feeling a little sorry for the stuntman.  
  
"Don't you think that's a little... exaggerated?" G.Q. asked.  
  
"A play, I can handle," he went on. "Hell, some plays can even be entertaining if done right and with a little bit of humor, but those are rare. Why couldn't it've been a play?"  
  
"What opera did you go see?" G.Q. asked.  
  
Jason stopped and tilted his head as he thought. "I forget. It was so bad that I sorta zoned out for the entire opera. Amy had to shake my shoulder just to snap me out of it."  
  
Both guys whistled, impressed.  
  
He nodded. "Yeah, it was THAT bad." He paused. "Not bad enough to merit seppu... I mean, hara-kiri, but VERY bad nonetheless." He grinned slightly. "However, Amy thought that my zoning out was really me getting into the opera, so she was really impressed with me. I'm not about to correct her on that, though."  
  
Darien laughed. "Well, better you than me. I'm not all that fond of operas, myself. Fortunately, Serena's never asked me to go see one with her."  
  
"Pray that she doesn't," Jason said with feigned seriousness. "It will eat your soul."  
  
At that moment, Serena joined them with both Amy and Tanya. "Morning Jason, G.Q.," she greeted. She then turned to Darien. "Good morning, Darien," she said, giving him a small, yet sexy smile before turning toward her trailer.  
  
"So, I see you two have been getting along famously," Tanya said with a slight hint of smugness in her voice.  
  
Darien grinned. "Oh, and I suppose that know you want be to bow down before your indomitable matchmaking skills?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.  
  
Tanya smugness seeped into a visibly smug grin. "Now you recognize my true powers, Darien Shields," she said, playful laughter clear in the tone of her voice. "It was only a matter of time until the two of you would succumb to the power of love!"  
  
"Do you realize how corny you sound right now?" Jason asked, resisting the urge to roll his eyes in exasperation, while Darien resisted a similar urge.  
  
She fixed a short Well-what-did-you-think-I-was-doing look at him, then became all smiles again. "Come on, Jason. You know I'm only joking around," she added while elbowing him lightly in the side. This time, he did roll his eyes.  
  
Amy shook her head, partly amused. "At any rate, once everyone's ready, we'll begin shooting the next scene. All right?" Everyone left to take care of their preparations, except for G.Q.  
  
"We're about halfway through, Amy," he said with a grin.  
  
She nodded as she regarded him with a brief smile. "I know. Many of us will certainly be glad once this movie's over."  
  
He nodded as he turned his gaze over to where Serena was coming out of her trailer while talking with both Tanya and Darien. "It will only get more complicated as it presses on."  
  
"I know, G.Q., but that's just the way I like it. It makes things more interesting. Nobody wants to see a dull movie anyway, right?" She started to leave, but paused after a few steps when a thought suddenly came to her. "You were talking about the movie, weren't you?"  
  
He smirked. "Why? Did you catch a double entendre in my words?" he asked, his tone laced with amusement.  
  
Amy shook her head and shrugged. "Never mind," she said as she turned toward the set, leaving G.Q.'s words to be pondered over for later.  
  
**********************************************  
  
"Diane...."  
  
"Unngh...," Diane moaned as someone shook her roughly. "Oww.... Could someone please tell those football players to stop using my head as their training field?" Set slowly sat up and winced, putting a hand to her head and rubbing it. She glanced up at the person who had been shaking her shoulder.  
  
It was Haruka.  
  
"Here," she said, handing her a plastic asprin bottle. "Sounds like you need some, too."  
  
"You all right, Haruka?" she asked as she stood up. "You've got a nasty bruise on your right cheek."  
  
Haruka grimaced and tried not to wince when she did. "Eh. It's not much. I've had much worse than this." She tried to gently move her neck and winced when she began to feel a sharp pain there. "I may need to see a doctor about this neck, though. It's nothing too serious, but still...."  
  
"How are you feeling, Diane?" Jack asked as soon as he entered the room.  
  
"Pretty piss poor, Jack," she muttered, grimacing. "But I'll live. So, how long was I out for?"  
  
"Well, Haruka shook me awake only a couple of minutes ago, but according to the VCR clock downstairs, we were out for a good six hours. I think it would've been longer if she had been affected by the sleeping gas, as well."  
  
Haruka snorted. "I was fortunate enough to have just been beaten unconscious instead. Lucky me."  
  
"You're still alive, so let's be grateful for the little things," Diane said as she turned toward Jack and sighed. "So, what's the damage?"  
  
"As you may have guessed, the Nijizuishou was all that was taken," Jack reported grimly. "Nothing else was taken from here; at least, nothing obvious. As for us, Haruka pretty much ended up taking most of the hits."  
  
Haruka gingerly felt her jaw as she turned toward the window and stared outside at the blanket of white outside. "Nothing that won't heal with time," she dismissed with a sigh.  
  
"You know, I never really cared about that thing...," she continued as the dawn's light began to illuminate and reflect over the carpet of snow, making the thick layer of frost and ice shimmer with morning light. "I used to think it was nothing but an expensive family heirloom. A gaudy hunk of crystal meant only for decoration. But, only now, when it's been stolen, that I realize that it's more than that.  
  
"My grandmother gave that crystal to me. Her grandmother gave that crystal to her. And her grandmother gave that crystal to her. That crystal has been in my family for too long for me to let it go without doing something about it!"  
  
"Haruka, don't worry," Diane said comfortingly. "Jack and I will get back that crystal. It only because we failed to keep it from being stolen in the first place." She shook her head.  
  
"There's no need for you to get involved any more than you are now," Jack added, coming beside Diane. "Let us handle it."  
  
The blonde racer sighed as she ambled over to a chair at one end of the room and slumped down into it. "Well, you are the professionals, I suppose," she finally relented. "However, I'm a racer by nature. Sitting still and waiting don't sit well with me. You know what I mean?" she asked, looking up from staring down at the floor.  
  
Both Jack and Diane nodded understandingly. "Leave it to us, Haruka," Diane told her. "We'll get your Nijizuishou back."  
  
Haruka snorted lightly, but smirked as she sat back in her chair and shrugged. "Yeah, sure. What else can I do anyway? And besides," she added as her smirk slowly formed into a look of compassion, "you still have to find those two kids, don't you?"  
  
Diane nodded solemnly while Jack quietly placed a hand on her shoulder. "That's right. I'm sure that man that attacked us was the kidnapper. Call it a hunch or intuition or whatever you want, but I'm sure of it."  
  
Haruka gave her a scrutinizing look for a few moments, then nodded to herself. "Well, whatever you say. You gotta do what you gotta do, right?" She stood up and walked up to them, standing directly in front of them with an almost expressionless look on her face. "Still, if you're right and that guy did nab your friends as well as my gem, then I want  
  
you to do me a favor, and give him holy hell for me as well. Kids should never be treated like that. Ever."  
  
They nodded. "We will, Haruka," Diane promised, then turned to leave with Jack following behind her.  
  
**********************************************  
  
Jack walked into their hotel room feeling both tired and upset. The quick mug of strong black coffee that he had drank prior to leaving Haruka's house had woke him up enough so that he could at least drive back to the hotel without driving their car off the road and into a tree, so he was still good for a few more hours before the caffiene would wear off. It was just enough time for him to check back with the hospital to see how Tira was holding up.  
  
"Hey, Jack," Diane yawned as she plopped onto her bed, "I'm gonna go back to sleep for a couple more hours. I don't think the effects of the gas have completely worn off yet."  
  
He yawned in reply to her yawn. "Don't you know that yawning is contagious, Diane?"  
  
She smiled at him as she pointed a foot at him. "Well, maybe helping me with my boots will help keep you awake."  
  
"You can't take off your own boots?" he asked as he went to help her out of her boots.  
  
"I could, but this darn sleeping gas is still affecting me," she replied as she dramatically placed a hand to her forehead in a show of helplessness. "I'm afraid I must rely on your manly strength to help free me of them, so that I may fall into a peaceful slumber."  
  
Jack pulled off one boot. "You're full of it, you know that?"  
  
She laughed at the flat expression on his face. "Aw, come on, Jack," she said as she presented him with the other foot. "Where's your sense of romance?"  
  
He pulled off the second boot. "I can hardly see the romance in removing a pair of hiking boots from someone's feet."  
  
Diane yawned again. "Oh, you're just not trying hard enough," she replied as she lifted one leg at a time to pull off her socks. "Anything can be romantic if you put your mind to it."  
  
He humphed. "Maybe I'm not the romantic type."  
  
She raised an eyebrow at him as she pulled the bed's blankets over her. "Now, why do I have a hard time believing that...?" she said, then winked before settling in to go to sleep. "Good night, Jack."  
  
"Good night, Diane," he replied, deciding to forgo the crack about it being ten in the morning. She didn't sleep well on the way back from Haruka's.  
  
After watching Diane settle into the beginning of a deep and restful sleep, he sat down on his own bed and reached for the phone. He picked up the slip of paper he had left next to the phone with the hospital's number on it and dialed.  
  
**********************************************  
  
Max's cell phone rang as he was driving down the freeway with the top and windows down on his cherry red convertible. Since he sometimes received some of his important business calls while he was out driving, he made it a point to always wear his hands- free headset whenever he drove.  
  
"Talk to me."  
  
"I have the fourth one in my possession now."  
  
A slow grin spread across his lips as he changed lanes to pass a slower moving car. "Great. So, when do you leave for Tokyo?"  
  
"I'm in the airport right now. My flight leaves in an hour."  
  
"Very good. Keep me informed."  
  
"There's one more thing."  
  
He lightly tapped his brakes as he noticed a police car entering the freeway from an offramp he had just passed. Normally, going 82mph on a 70mph freeway would hardly be commented upon, but seeing as he was all by himself without the protection of a pack of cars to match speeds with, he could easily be snatched up by a CHP officer who would love nothing more than to give someone a speeding ticket. And seeing how he was already only a couple points away from losing his license, he wasn't about to take the chance.  
  
"Go on."  
  
"If you don't mind, I'm going to spend a day down in Okinawa first. I desparately need to warm the cold out of my bones after spending so much time down here."  
  
Max sighed and shook his head. "For all your talk about being a professional, you sure bitch a lot about being cold. I swear, you have a low tolerance for cold."  
  
A grunt was audible from the other end. "I do not bitch, Max."  
  
"Whatever. I don't mind if you take a day off, just as long as you stick with the schedule we started with. Understand?"  
  
"That's what you pay me for." With that, the connection terminated.  
  
Max nodded to himself as he terminated his side of the connection. "Four of seven. Things are going almost as well as I would've hoped for."  
  
As he approached his exit, he quickly hit the one of the speed dial numbers on his phone and waited.  
  
"Hello?" a male voice answered as he picked up the phone.  
  
"It's me. How're our two guests doing?" Max asked.  
  
"They've quieted down some since they first woke up, but the girl still cries every now and then."  
  
"And the boy?"  
  
"He's still going back and forth between looking for a way out of the cell and trying to calm his girlfriend. He still demands to see her everytime Zed goes down to bring them food. Zed wants nothing more than to beat the hell out of the boy for when he kicked his ass when we picked them up."  
  
"And you are both certain that there is no way for the two to escape?"  
  
"Absolutely certain."  
  
"Then, I'll leave them in your hands."  
  
"If I may ask, what exactly are we planning to do with them?"  
  
"Insurance," Max said as he pulled into his personal parking space in front of Stanton Aeronautical and raised his roof and windows. "For now, that's all you need to know."  
  
"Understood, sir."  
  
**********************************************  
  
"Mr. Terrance, Miss Jenner is awake, but I'm afraid that she can't talk for too long," the doctor informed him.  
  
"I understand," Jack said gratefully. "I just want to hear her voice, even if it is only for a short time. Can you please put her on the phone?"  
  
"Hold on please, Mr. Terrance."  
  
There was a short pause as he could hear the phone changing hands. "Jack?"  
  
"Tira? How are you doing? Are you feeling better?" he asked worriedly.  
  
Tira laughed weakly. "You sound a lot like how Dad used to sound whenever I got sick," she replied. "I never really noticed until now."  
  
"Damn, Ti. You don't know how glad I am to hear your voice again," he said, his relief palpable in his voice. "I was almost afraid I lost you like...."  
  
"...like we lost Dad?" she finished, her voice lowering to a near whisper at the memory.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"I'm sorry, Jack...."  
  
"Don't be," he told her firmly. "It wasn't your fault. You couldn't've known. I'm just glad that you're still alive. You're like a daughter to me, Ti."  
  
"Even though I'm old enough to be your younger sister?" she said with a laugh.  
  
Jack couldn't help but laugh with her. It was an old joke, but it meant much more than that to them. Their relationship began had only became like that of an older brother and younger sister a year before Lee's death, but since then, it had become more and more of the father and daughter - or rather, very young father to mature daughter - relationship that they shared now.  
  
"Diane wanted to talk to you as soon as you were able to talk, but she's asleep right now," he explained. "We've had quite a rough night."  
  
"Did you find the crystal?" she asked, her demeanor becoming more serious. "Or has it already been stolen?"  
  
"A little bit of both, actually," he admitted. "We got to it before our man did, but he took us out with some kind of gas - probably sleeping gas - and stole it before we could stop him."  
  
"So, the guy now has four of the seven Nijizuishou crystals, huh?"  
  
"I'm afraid so."  
  
There was a short pause on Tira's end. "Listen, Jack," she said urgently. "There's something I have to tell you and it's very important."  
  
Tira's tone of voice was more serious than he was used to hearing from her. That could only mean one thing: it was bad. Very bad. "What is it, Tira?"  
  
"Before I got shot, I was hacking around in Stanton Aeronautical's network, looking for anything that had to do with the Nijizuishou crystals. I figured that if Stanton had never filed a report with the police about his missing crystal - I asked Christy to confirm this - then something certainly wasn't kosher.  
  
"After I gained access into the network, I managed to find this one file named 'Project: Ginzuishou' in Stanton's personal files. I downloaded it onto the computer and had just cracked the passwords on it before you and Diane returned. Unfortunately, I accidentally tripped over the electrical cord and unplugged the computer, so all that work I did on that file may have been lost."  
  
"I told you that you'd trip over that cord one of these days," Jack admonished.  
  
"Geez, now you're REALLY starting to sound like Dad," Tira grumbled.  
  
"And I'm proud of it, thank you," he retorted with a grin, earning another laugh from her.  
  
"Anyway, from what I can remember from what I've read of the file, the seven Nijizuishou have some kinda special properties that Stanton plans on using in order to create some kind of weapon of some sort. A prototype laser weapon, I think."  
  
"A laser weapon?" Jack muttered. "What does he think this is? A movie? Sounds like Stanton's borrowing a page from the Star Wars script, if you ask me."  
  
"That's what I thought at first, but from what I saw, the design looked pretty realistic to me. Jack, can you get a copy of that file to Christy? I'm sure she can get into that file and give you more information than I can. I'm just going by memory, here."  
  
Jack nodded. "We're going to be heading back as soon as I get some rest, Tira. After that, we're going to head out to where the Blue Nijizuishou is located. Would you happen to remember where that is?"  
  
"Hmm.... Let me think.... Ah! Tokyo. It's in a museum display in Tokyo, Japan."  
  
Jack nodded. "Japan it is, then."  
  
"Hey, Jack. The nurse is about ready to cut me off, so I've gotta let you go now," she told him reluctantly.  
  
"Oh, all right," he acknowledged. "You just work on getting better, all right?"  
  
"Yes, O father dear," Tira replied in a mocking tone, then laughed. "Seriously though, Jack, you're like a father to me as well. I love you, Jack."  
  
"I love you, too... my little girl." Lee used to call her that all the time. He hoped she wouldn't mind.  
  
"...thank you... Daddy," she whispered as she gave the phone to the nurse, who promptly hang it up.  
  
Jack felt his throat tightening with both pride and joy. She called him... Daddy.... He slowly turned to glance over at Diane, who was still sound asleep in her bed. He wondered what she would've thought about that last exchange between himself and Tira.  
  
It didn't really matter, though. Tira had given him some vital information as to the why concerning the theft of the Nijizuishou crystals. However, there was still something missing. If Stanton was truly behind the Nijizuishou thefts, then why was he building a weapon that required the crystals to function properly? Who was he building it for? Where is it being built?  
  
More importantly, if these Nijizuishou crystals were that important, then was he the one ultimately responsible for kidnapping Hotaru and Ryoku?  
  
There were still so many questions and not enough information. Once they were on their way back to L.A., then they could start looking for some more answers before heading off to Tokyo and the Blue Nijizuishou.  
  
But first, he needed to get some sleep.  
  
Taking off his own boots wasn't as easy as taking off Diane's - probably because he was wearing them at the time - but he managed. Once his boots were off and he had removed his socks as well, he slipped into the covers of his bed and fell asleep within seconds.  
  
**********************************************  
  
To Chapter 33  
  
**********************************************  
  
Author's Note: After another forever, the next chapter of Seeing Stars is out and submitted for your approval. I'm going to try to speed things up in this story somewhat, so don't be surprised if I tend to spend more time in the movie storyline than the main storyline. I'm just trying not to let this drag on for longer than it has to. ^_^ Next chapter: Return to L.A.; off to Tokyo; and a surprise from the past awaits Serena.  
  
Disclaimer: All original materials belong to their respective owners. Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi and a bunch of big companies. No copyright infringement is intended. This story belongs to Moonsong and myself, and I would appreciate you emailing her or myself for permission before posting it anywhere else. Thank you.  
  
Prologue Copyright © January 24, 2000 Moonsong. Other Chapters Copyright © August 12, 2000 Jason Ulloa. All Rights Reserved. 


	34. Chapter 33

Seeing Stars By Jason Ulloa Original story by Moonsong Continued with her permission.  
  
Chapter 33  
  
It was like visiting the scene of a crime, but on the other hand, this place was like a second home.  
  
There. That was the spot where he had been standing when Tira burst out of the door, knocking him over... just in time to be shot.  
  
There. That was where her body lay as the blood slowly oozed out of her while she slowly lost consciousness. The blood had been cleaned up, but for a long time he wouldn't be able to pass by this spot without remembering.  
  
There. That was where he had knelt down and attempted to stem the blood flowing out of her. He had done all he could, and at least she was still alive, but at the time, he didn't know that. At the time, everything depended on keeping as much of her blood in her body as possible.  
  
His hands had been almost covered in blood.  
  
Her blood...  
  
With a bit of effort, Jack tore his gaze away and turned toward the computer that Tira kept on her desk. The power cord to her computer was disconnected, just like she said. It was still connected to the wall, but the part that connected to the actual console had been yanked free and was lying in a shapeless mess a couple of feet away. He really should get some of those wire covers that kept people from tripping.  
  
He picked up the plug and inserted it back into its proper place, then allowed the computer to boot up. He sat down in Tira's chair with his elbows on the desk and his head propped up in his hands, and waited. As he waited, he felt a pair of hands rest gently on his shoulders. He looked up to see Diane standing over him.  
  
"You looked so pensive when we came back that I thought it'd be best to leave you to your thoughts," she explained as she let her arms slide down to where she was now hugging him from behind. "You shouldn't blame yourself. You had no way of knowing."  
  
The computer beeped.  
  
"As much as I wanted to protect her from danger, it ended up finding her anyway," he said quietly, without moving. He then turned toward her, his expression distraught. "I almost lost her, Diane. Even though she managed to survive, the fact remains that I almost lost her. That scares me more than anything."  
  
"Jack, I know she's like a daughter to you, but you can't try to always protect her for her entire life." She straightened and dragged a chair over, then sat next to him while placing a comforting hand on his. "She's nineteen, Jack. A young adult. In two years, she'll become a full-fledged adult. You can't keep protecting her forever, or she'll never really grow as a woman."  
  
The computer completed its boot process and displayed its logon screen.  
  
"I know," Jack sighed quietly as he turned toward her and smiled sadly. "You know, there are times when I wonder what Lee and Tasha would say about how I'm raising their daughter."  
  
Diane took both of Jack's hands in hers and looked him straight in the eyes. "It's obvious that you care for Tira just as if she was your own flesh-and-blood daughter. That's all any parent could want for their child."  
  
He stared back at her for a few moments more until he smiled again, only this smile held more warmth than his last. "Thank you, Diane."  
  
"Now, shall we get to recovering that file that Tira wanted us to look at?" she suggested.  
  
Jack nodded, turned toward the computer, and logged in. Once the login process completed, he began to search through the folders that Tira usually kept the stuff she downloaded in.  
  
"Hmm... mp3, mp3, a couple of JPEG images, a movie clip, a few more mp3s... ah! Here we are."  
  
"Are you sure, Jack?" she asked, frowning questioningly at the monitor. "It looks like nothing but a bunch of numbers with an unknown file extention. It might just be a temp file, or maybe a corrupted file...." She blanched as the thought hit her. "You don't think that it might be...."  
  
He shook his head and shrugged helplessly. "I can't tell. From what I can guess, it's either that, or this file can only be read using the program that made it." He frowned and glared at the offending file on the monitor. "However, we do know that Tira had read it."  
  
"So, you think it might be corrupted?" Diane asked dispairingly.  
  
"Maybe," he said tentatively. "But, I'm not sure. I think we should take a copy of it to Christy anyway. If she can't figure out a way to view it, then we'll just have to keep on going without it."  
  
"I suppose so," she agreed as she stood up. "I don't want to waste any more time than I have to. Both Hotaru and Ryoku must be so scared right now...."  
  
Jack copied the file to a Zip disk and ejected it from the computer. "Then, as soon as we finish with Christy, we'll depart for the location of the next Nijizuishou crystal: Tokyo, Japan." He removed the disk and handed it to Diane, who slipped it into her purse as he stood up after turning off the computer.  
  
"Let's go."  
  
**********************************************  
  
"So, let me see it," Christy requested as she held out her hand.  
  
Jack blinked as he handed her the disk. "That's it? Just 'Let me see it?'"  
  
Christy turned her swivel chair around and gave him a stern look. "Do you think I've forgotten why you're doing this, Jack? I've already overlooked some of the legal boundries you may have crossed, you know."  
  
He nodded and sighed in a put-upon way. "Yes, I know. And we're both grateful. I really do owe you one for this Christy, and I mean in a big way."  
  
Diane gave her a grateful look. "We both do," she added.  
  
"Don't sweat it," Christy said as she turned toward her computer and slipped the disk in. "It's for a good cause. And besides, to me, Jack, you're still a cop. And we look after our own."  
  
"Thanks, Christy."  
  
A new window popped up on the monitor, displaying the file in question. "Anytime, Jack." After a few mouse clicks, the file's properties were promptly displayed on the screen. "Hmm... interesting...."  
  
"What is it?" Diane asked hopefully.  
  
"I was just looking at the file size," she told her. "It's kinda big. We're talking megs, here, not Ks. Makes me wonder, if this used to be a document, there has to be a lot of stuff in here. I'm guessing this used to be either a database, or a slide presentation. Documents rarely are this big, unless they have embedded images galore. Still, I find that highly unlikely. After all, if a company wants to disseminate a large amount of information which would include graphical examples and such, a slide presentation is the way to go, and those babies are huge, especially when the creator wants to get fancy and add transition effects. But, I digress."  
  
"You sure as hell did," Diane remarked dryly.  
  
"Sorry," Christy apologized. "I tend to ramble while I'm thinking. It's a bad habit, I know." She tapped the screen which showed the file's filename. "Now, here. This is the filename compressed down to the DOS 8.3 naming convention; eight alphanumerics and three for the extention. Now, I know that no such program uses such an extention, but what caught my attention is this-" She tapped on the dollar sign beginning the extention. "-and this." She tapped on the underscore ending the extention.  
  
"What about them?" Diane asked.  
  
"Now, the dollar sign is usually used for temp files created when editing files such as documents, spreadsheets, databases, and so on. This temp file is where the editing is done, while the original file is locked so as not to be accidentally deleted while being edited. Now, the underscore is commonly used for compressed installation files which are uncompressed and copied upon installation of your operating system."  
  
There was much blinking.  
  
"Okay... long story short. I think that the underscore was put there intentionally, in case someone stumbled onto the file by accident. Person thinks, 'Oh, it's just a useless file,' and moves on. When someone who knows what they're doing comes across the file, they can change the extention, view it, work on it, whatever, then change it back.  
  
"This file must be the temp file that was created when the original file was open. However, when the power was cut off, the file remained in memory and became a permanent temp file. However, one thing puzzles me... you said that this was the only file you found. Where's the original? You should've had an original from which the temp file came from...."  
  
"This was all that was there," Jack told her. "Everything else was the same thing that had always been there."  
  
Christy grimaced. "Well, then there's only one thing left to do. Make a copy and try to open it. Let's see what we can come up with. First thing's first. Open it with a text editor and look for text."  
  
After opening the file and scanning through the contents, she sighed and closed the file. "Good news, bad news."  
  
"Bad first," Jack requested.  
  
"I can't restore this file 100%," she confirmed. "The good news is, I have a contact who can. But there's a problem; I won't be able to get his help for free."  
  
"He wants money?" Diane asked with a sigh. "Well, I could try, but I don't know how much I can offer. I don't exactly have access to FBI funds at this moment...."  
  
"Actually, there are two other ways to get his help," she explained. "The first way is with money, of course. The second, is with... well...."  
  
"Let me guess: sexual favors?" Diane asked flatly. "Hell... no. My body's not for sale, thank you."  
  
"Of course," Christy recovered quickly. "Not that I would ever suggest it, of course. Anyway, the third, and hardest of all, is to offer the guy a challenge worthy of his... 'leet skills', as he calls them."  
  
"A hacker," Jack said.  
  
"The guy helped teach me most of what I know," she told him. "And he's an ex-hacker. Went legit after almost being busted on a unauthorized access charge that would've taken away his computer access for life. He swore off the hardcore stuff and now works as a information systems security consultant. He still dabbles - to keep his edge, he claims - so, he's as good as you can find without having to resort to more... dubious assistance."  
  
"What's the guy's name?" Jack asked.  
  
"His name is Shingo Tsukino, but he's known around the hacker cliques as 'Signal'."  
  
"I was expecting something more... hacker-like," Diane said, slightly disappointed.  
  
"It's a joke on his first name. 'Shingo' means 'signal' in Japanese. You know, like a traffic signal? Besides, as he once told me, 'names are only for identifying the person with the deed. A person with a great name and no great deeds to back it up is a pathetic fool.' Seeing what he can do, I tend to agree with him."  
  
"Well, if you're sure he can do the job...," Diane said as she moved to stand up. "But, can you trust him?"  
  
"I've known the guy since he was still in high school. I think we can trust him."  
  
"Okay, then," she said as she stood up. Jack stood with her. "We'll leave the disk with you. You have my cell phone number, so can you please call me as soon as you can arrange something with Mr. Tsukino. I don't know exactly what I can offer, but whatever I have to offer is his if this information can help me put a stop to whoever is behind Hotaru and Ryoku's kidnapping."  
  
Christy nodded. "I'll see what I can do. Good luck on your end. Both of you." She reached out to shake both of their hands. "Take care of each other out there."  
  
"We will," they replied together, then left.  
  
**********************************************  
  
Diane halted in mid-step as she went past the automatic sliding doors that made up one of the many airport entrances that dottede the massive complex. "Wait, Jack," she said hesitantly.  
  
Jack stopped and turned back toward his companion. "Something wrong?"  
  
"I just thought of something. Do you remember where Tira said the Blue Nijizuishou was?"  
  
"Yeah. Tokyo. What's the problem?"  
  
Diane's frown remained thoughtful as she started to walk again. "Well, our man certainly knows that we're after him, now. Since we spent so much time here, and since it's going to be a long flight...."  
  
Jack grimaced as he figured out what Diane was getting at. "...he might've gotten the Blue Nijizuishou and left for the next one by the time we get there," he finished.  
  
"That's right," she agreed. "Even if it's in a museum with guards, he's already shown that he can break into a museum with little effort."  
  
"Like in Madrid." He folded his arms and stopped, leaning against the wall as he thought. "So, right now, it might be pointless to go to Tokyo after him."  
  
"I've made the mistake of trying to catch him right on his heels, only to warn him that we're chasing after him," she continued, her countenance grim with regret. "I won't make that mistake again."  
  
"So, what's the game plan? Do we go to Hong Kong to warn Ms. Kaiou that her Nijizuishou might be stolen?"  
  
She shook her head. "No. He has too much of a head start on us, now that he knows that he's being pursued. We'll have to warn her, but leave it to her to protect her crystal however she can. This's not about the crystals to me; this is about finding Hotaru and Ryoku. I'm not about to let our man get away a second time. I'll need time to prepare a proper trap for him.  
  
"We're heading to Australia, Jack," she declared as she walked determinedly past him, toward the ticket counters. "One way or another, I want our chase to end in Sydney, even if I have to steal the Violet Nijizuishou myself and hold it ransom from him."  
  
Jack started, almost stumbling behind her. "You're not serious about that stealing part, right?"  
  
"Have you forgotten, Jack?" she said, stopping as she turned and gave him a beleaguered look. "I've been cut off from all F.B.I. assistance, remember? It's not like I can ask the curator to borrow the crystal in order to bargain with our man."  
  
"But, are you REALLY going to try and steal the crystal, just to have a bargaining chip?"  
  
"I promised that I would find Souichi's daughter and her boyfriend," she stated firmly. "I will do whatever it takes to fulfill that promise, no matter what."  
  
Jack nodded, then tilted his head as he grinned impishly. "Well, even so, you still might need someone to watch your back... even if you decide to go steal that crystal. Might be too big a job for just one person, you know?"  
  
Diane just stared at him for a moment, then walked up to him an lightly kissed him on the cheek. "You're so sweet, you know that?" she said, then walked past him, toward the ticket counters once again. "Let's go get our tickets."  
  
As she walked toward the ticket counters, Jack just stood and stared after her in complete amazement while slowly raising a hand toward his face.  
  
"You coming, Jack?" Diane called out her shoulder without stopping.  
  
He quickly snapped out of his shock and started after her.  
  
**********************************************  
  
Midnight.  
  
He always did his best work at midnight.  
  
There was no time to properly case the museum. Those two were probably still after him, so he had to work fast. He hated that, since rushing things always led to sloppiness. A slip of a hand, accidently triggering an alarm. Forgetting a tool, which could possibly be traced back to him, directly or indirectly. Being spotted by security guards. Any one of those could  
  
land him in a whole mess of trouble.  
  
He had to work quick, but he had to be careful. Additionally, he had to plan as he went along. Fortunately, he had some experience in that.  
  
And so, he took a deep breath and jumped off the roof of the building across from the museum and opened his parachute.  
  
As the building was three times as tall as the museum, he had enough space to allow his parachute to open enough to slow his decent from lethal to just dangerous. The problem was that unless he could manipulate his decent properly, he wouldn't be able to decend far enough forward to hit the roof of the museum. The visibility of the parachute wasn't a problem - the material was pitch black, so it wouldn't be too noticeable against the night sky. The night lights were a problem, but he couldn't control everything and he had no more time left to prepare.  
  
Several anxious moments later, Jed touched ground upon the roof of the museum, hitting hard enough to produce a heavy grunt as he tumbled to the floor while the parachute cloth collapsed. He pushed himself up and quickly rushed to the side of the roof to see if there was anyone staring over at where he landed and wondering what was happening. No one seemed to have noticed. Feeling relieved, he reached up to unbuckle the parachute, then quickly began gathering up the parachute material. Once it was gathered up, he quickly shoved it into the backpack and stuffed the backpack in some remote spot where it wouldn't be easily found. He wouldn't have time to retrive it, so that would have to do.  
  
With all that done, he turned his attention toward the glass window panes sticking up from the roof floor. It was almost a requirement for museums to have such windows in order to bring in natural daylight to light up their exhibits, as natural daylight seemed to be preferred over direct lighting for aesthetical reasons. However, such panes were like a weak point in an otherwise secure location.  
  
First, some reconnaissance. From this location, he could actually see the Nijizuishou crystal. Its display was a short distance from being directly underneath the window. It would've been so much easier if it had been directly underneath, but things never did seem to turn out that way.  
  
Watching for two hours revealed that the guards seemed to stop by the display every half hour. It wasn't exact, but they usually showed up within five minutes from the hour mark. So, depending on when the guard made his or her last check, he would have between twenty to forty minutes to take the Nijizuishou and go. Not too bad, but it seemed to be cutting things a little close.  
  
A quick infrared check with his IR goggles showed some alarm beams covering the window panes, however, they were spaced too far apart to be of any use against an expert like himself. The corner seemed like a good entry point. Around the display was several beams stacked seven feet high. There was just barely enough space to squeeze through in mid- air, but he didn't have the skill to pull it off yet. As good as he was, there were still limits to his skill. The answer to his problem lay with the large metal sculpture standing next to it. Once inside, he could leap off of the Nijizuishou display and make it back over the top.  
  
Yes, that could work. But, he would have to work fast. He would give himself twenty minutes at the least, but he should be able to pull everything off in that amount of time.  
  
He pulled out his glasscutter and carved a curved section out of the corner of one of the panes, making sure not to cross the boundries of one of the infrared alarm beams. Once the section was cut, he brought out his rope, which had a grappling anchor attached, and anchored it to the window frame. After a few tugs and a little bit of applied pressure using his foot, he was satisfied that his anchor would hold.  
  
All that was left to do was wait. The guard would be arriving shortly.  
  
As soon as the guard made his scheduled appearance, Jed went flat on his stomach and quietly watched. For the moment, the guard seemed to be at ease. He had no reason to glance up at the window, but he didn't want to take any chances. Besides, the slight alteration he made to the window shouldn't be noticeable from a distance. The ceiling had to be a good five hundred feet up. He was safe for the most part.  
  
There. The guard was turning to leave the exhibit room. Now was his chance.  
  
He waited two minutes to make sure that the guard wasn't returning, then tossed the rope down to the floor. It hit with a quiet tap. He then climbed over the window frame and slowly lowered himself down onto the rope, making sure that his earlier assessment of the rope wasn't a mistake.  
  
The rope held. He quickly slid down to the floor.  
  
Now was the hard part. He slipped his IR goggles and gauged the beam fence surrounding the Nijizuishou exhibit. Once he made sure of the height in his mind, he went over to the metal sculpture and checked it to make sure it wouldn't move. Seeing that it was anchored with a two-foot thick, fifty by fifty-foot steel block, he was certain that it would hold.  
  
He took a running leap and planted his right foot on a flat portion of the sculpture. The section gave slightly, but it held enough for him to shift his weight and push off toward the exhibit. He kept his eye on the highest beam as he sailed over in an inverted high-jump track style, face-down rather than face-up. His right foot almost brushed the beam, but he quickly noticed and pulled up just in time to barely miss it. With a quick mid-air flip, he landed in a crouch, his knees stinging a little from landing from such a high distance. He quickly stood up and strode over to the display, tools out and ready.  
  
A quick check showed that the casing itself was locked and protected. Any attempts at lockpicking would set off an alarm. The casing was also locked and bolted to the floor. However, since the casing was made of glass....  
  
He looked over the display inside, making sure that there were no interal safety measures. There didn't seem to be any, but he decided to proceed with caution, should one come up when least expected. He would deal with them as they came.  
  
Once his glasscutter did its work, he gently removed the square panel from the display and reached inside. Ten minutes gone, ten to go.  
  
Instead of grabbing the crystal like an amateur, he lifted up the fabric covering the display. There it was. A pressure-sensitive alarm trigger.  
  
But that was exactly why he had a fake crystal made with exactly the same weight as the original.  
  
He reached into his pocket and brought out the fake Nijizuishou. With a deft, practiced hand, he knocked the true Nijizuishou off of its perch while letting the fake one rest in the same position that the first one had occupied. He made sure that at no time the weight being felt by trigger increased or decreased. That would set it off and land him in a whole world of trouble.  
  
Once the Nijizuishou was in his hand, he applied some quick-drying adhesive to the glass panel he cut and set it back into the display. There were still telltale signs that the glass had been cut, but a casual glance would show that nothing was wrong. He would be counting on the guards lack of alertness until his escape.  
  
After placing the crystal in his pocket, where the fake crystal had rested earlier, he jumped onto the top of the display, being careful not to jar it too much, causing the crystal to fall off its display and set off an alarm, and leaped over the infrared beams once again. Once again, no problems.  
  
Eighteen minutes down. Cutting it close.  
  
He wasted no time running toward the rope, but he didn't dare jump toward it. That could set off the alarms up near the window. No mistakes this late in the game. Complacence was not an option.  
  
He was breathing heavily from exertion when he pulled himself up over the window frame and out onto the roof. He turned around and started pulling up the rope, straight up, hand-over- hand, making sure that the rope didn't sway over toward any of the alarm beams. He had already passed the twenty minute marker and a guard could be coming any minute now. Once the last of the rope was in his hand, he gathered it up and made his way to where he hid the backpack. He quickly stuffed his gear in with the parachute and hid the bulky pack once again. He could always get new gear. The important thing was to get away without being noticed. Now that he was out of his black stealth gear, he was less conspicuous.  
  
Looking over the edge of the roof where the ladder leading to the ground was located at, he saw that there was no sign of anyone around. No sign of any patrolling guards. A glance around the walls showed that there was two security cameras. They were motion cameras, but after watching them go through one cycle, he noticed that they had a blind spot. And that he could run from that blind spot to cover before the cameras could spot him.  
  
It took no time for him to slide down the ladder to the ground and reach the blind spot. Once the cameras were turned away, he sprinted as fast as he could toward the next building. He had plenty of time before the camera would turn toward him again.  
  
The moment he reached the parking lot of the next building, he knew he was clear. He leisurely strolled toward his car and got in, then pulled out the Blue Nijizuishou crystal.  
  
"Five down, two more to go," he said with a satisfied smirk on his face.  
  
The car started and pulled out of the parking lot, heading toward the freeway. And from there, the airport.  
  
He had no time to waste. He would get the last two Nijizuishou crystals, and he would get them now.  
  
**********************************************  
  
To Chapter 34  
  
**********************************************  
  
Author's Note: I bet you'd've never expected this fic to include Shingo, of all people, did you? How's that for being different? Mwahahahaha! Anyway, things are picking up once again. No time to waste; I'm gonna try and finish this up as soon as I can, but not without sacrificing the storyline, of course. I needed to make things move a little bit faster in the movie section of the story, so I'll try and get back with Serena and Darien next chapter. Wait and see. Things will get more interesting before the end. Next chapter: Arrival in Sydney; Christy meets with Shingo; Ryoku makes an escape attempt; and a surprise from the past awaits Serena.  
  
P.S.: Oops. Typed 'world' instead of 'whole'. Looked like I typed 'world' twice. Silly me.  
  
Disclaimer: All original materials belong to their respective owners. Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi and a bunch of big companies. No copyright infringement is intended. This story belongs to Moonsong and myself, and I would appreciate you emailing her or myself for permission before posting it anywhere else. Thank you.  
  
Prologue Copyright © January 24, 2000 Moonsong. Other Chapters Copyright © August 12, 2000 Jason Ulloa. All Rights Reserved. 


	35. Chapter 34

Seeing Stars By Jason Ulloa Original story by Moonsong Continued with her permission.  
  
Chapter 34  
  
Diane dropped her bags and stretched. That flight was so damn LONG! And boring, too. She didn't like being cramped up for that long. However, being able to rest her head on Jack's shoulder for a good deal of the flight.... That made it a whole lot more acceptable. And feeling him lean back against her....  
  
It was a good thing Jack was using the restroom. She didn't want to see her grinning like an idiot. She was probably blushing, too.  
  
She shook her head and picked up her things, wondering how in the world she had started to develop feelings for the cop turned P.I. Not that she didn't think that he was a great guy or anything, it was just that she didn't have time for this. She had to find Hotaru and Ryoku. Her love life was something she could deal with later, after she did what she had to do.  
  
Diane glanced around, looking for Jack. She didn't think that it would take him this long to use the restroom, unless he REALLY wasn't feeling well.  
  
Oh, wait. There he was. He was on one of the pay phones, probably calling Tira to see how she was doing. He had told her about what she had discovered before she was shot; that the seven Nijizuishou crystals could be used to develop some sort of laser superweapon of some sort. She'd have to report that to Artie, but she'd need some proof first. Perhaps if that ex-hacker friend of Christy's managed to restore that corrupted file she brought to him, then she'd have the proof she'd need.  
  
Jack hung up the phone, picked up his suitcases, and headed over to join her. "Tira says hi," he said as she fell into step beside him. "Anyway, she gave me the name of the museum that the Violet Nijizuishou crystal is displayed in."  
  
Diane nodded. "As soon as we get our hotel room, we can start making a plan."  
  
"We're not really going to steal the crystal, are we?"  
  
"I hope not, Jack, but if it comes down to it-"  
  
"Yeah, I know," he sighed reluctantly. "Well, if it does come down to it, then I'll be more than happy to be Clyde to your Bonnie," he added with a sly grin as they left the airport.  
  
"Jack, they were bank robbers, not jewel theives," she replied with an amused shake of her head.  
  
"So?" he asked with a slight shrug as he flagged a cab. "That wasn't what I was referring to."  
  
"Oh? So, what were you referring to?" she asked, raising an eyebrow inquisitively.  
  
Jack merely smirked as a taxi came to a stop in front of them. "Think about it," he replied and opened the passenger door for her. After Jack put all the luggage in the trunk and climbed into the other side of the taxi, she still hadn't guessed what he meant by that last remark.  
  
**********************************************  
  
Christy parked her car next to the curb and got out of her car, checking the address again to make sure. Yes, this was 7532 Herriwood St. This was the right place.  
  
She looked over the exterior of the house as she approached the front. It was just an average-looking, one-story house, which sort of suprised her, considering the amount of money that her friend made. The huge black S.U.V. in the driveway made more sense, though.  
  
Once she reached the front door, she reached up and pressed the doorbell. A few moments later, she could hear a slight buzzing sound coming from a small panel to her right. Upon closer inspection, it looked more like an intercom speaker.  
  
"Come on in, Christy," Shingo's voice said from the intercom. "I'm in the back working on something very important, so make yourself at home. Just turn the knob; the door should be open now."  
  
She turned the doorknob, finding that the door was indeed open now. After she stepped inside, the door swung closed behind her and clicked. Also, the soft buzzing sound had ceased.  
  
Curious, she decided to take a quick tour of the place. The living room didn't seem out of the ordinary, however, she did become imediately jealous of the huge 77' wide-screen TV sitting at the far end of the room. It had a built-in VCR and DVD player, too. Not to mention the killer surround sound system that he had set up as well....  
  
Okay, now she could begin to understand why he didn't live in a more expensive house. Idly, she began to wonder how large his movie library was. Had to be huge for a setup like this.  
  
"Normally, people use three or five speakers for surround sound," Shingo's voice said from behind. "The five speaker system usually has a forward left and right, a rear left and right, and a center speaker.  
  
"I like to use eight speakers," he continued as he walked up next to Christy and grinned rougishly. "One for each direction. Total sound immersion. Kinda like in an IMAX theater, only done with sound instead of visuals. Try watching one of your favorite scary movies with this system. I can almost guarantee that you'll wet your pants the first time you experience it."  
  
"It's been a while, Shingo," Christy said as she glanced toward her friend and former teacher. He was wearing an open white shirt with a white undershirt, and light gray slacks with a black belt and silver buckle. His light brown hair fell down in short bangs that curved toward his brown eyes. A short, thin pony-tail was starting to reach down past his shoulder blades. "I see you've changed your look," she commented after giving him an appraising look.  
  
"A lot has changed since I went legit, Christy," he replied. "It only seemed appropriate. You like?"  
  
"Not bad," she stated. "I think you look better with short hair, though."  
  
He shrugged. "I only wanted to try out something different," he admitted. "Anyway, you said you had something important you wanted to ask me about. Drink?" He turned to leave.  
  
"Sure, I'll take whatever you're having. And yeah, I need to ask you a favor."  
  
"A favor?" Shingo called out from the kitchen. "What kind of favor?"  
  
"A friend of mine wants to buy your services."  
  
"My... services," he said dubiously as he stepped back into the living room. "I take it that since this person is going through you to procure my... services, that this isn't about a CNVA, is it?"  
  
"No, she doesn't need a vulnerability assessment, but it's not like what you're probably thinking, either," she told him quickly as she produced a Zip disk. "She just wants you to see if you can restore a corrupted file."  
  
"Oh," he said as he tossed her a beer. "Your favorite brand, if I remember correctly."  
  
She glanced down at the can and smiled. "Yeah, that's it, all right. You remembered."  
  
He barked a laugh. "I should. You used to down those almost as much as my favoite sake."  
  
"Do you happen to have any?"  
  
"I wisely drank the rest when you called to say you wanted to visit."  
  
Christy grabbed a cushion from the couch in front of her and threw it at him. "You dick," she said in mock anger as she drank some of her beer. "Anyway, do you think you can do it?"  
  
"Let me see the disk."  
  
She handed him the disk. "So, you'll do it?"  
  
"Depends on how difficult it is," he replied. "After all, it's not easy to restore a corrupted file. Most times, it's all but impossible. That's why most people don't do it or try to figure out how to do it. If I can't do it, I can't do it. However, if I can do it, then I'll figure out how much to charge this friend of yours. Come with me."  
  
She nodded. "All right."  
  
Shingo led Christy back toward the room he called his 'home office'. She could see a small black and white monitor sitting to one side of the room displaying whatever was currently at his front door. Obviously, that was how he knew she was at the door. Next to the monitor was a similar intercom speaker, only there was a second button there. That probably controlled the locking mechanism, which allowed him to remotely unlock his door.  
  
Sitting beside the monitor was Shingo's pride and joy. The computer was in a server-type case, with a polished black finish to it. She didn't know the specs of his computer, but knowing him, she could guess what was under the hood, so to speak. Shingo popped the disk into his computer, ran a quick virus scan, then opened up the file in question.  
  
"Hmm... interesting," Shingo said as he went through the file.  
  
"What?"  
  
"What do you know about trojans, Christy?" he said as he turned from his computer.  
  
"Trojans? Like Trojan horses?" she repeated. "They're viruses that act as programs, and infect target computers whenever they are run. However, not all trojans can be classified as viruses, as viruses are malicious code that is capable of self- replication. Most trojans do not self-replicate, but merely act as a carrier with a virus payload."  
  
Shingo nodded. "And time-bombs?"  
  
"Time-bombs are viruses that are set to trigger at a specified event, like a certain time, or whenever a certain event occurs."  
  
Shingo nodded again, then pointed at a string of code. "Look here. See anything strange?"  
  
Christy frowned and shook her head. "Not that I can see."  
  
"It's viral code."  
  
"A virus?" she said, blinking in shock. "But, didn't you just run a virus scan on it?"  
  
"I did," he confirmed. "Oh, don't worry. This is only a small portion of viral code. It in itself is harmless unless it is with the rest of the viral code."  
  
"How do you know that that's part of a virus?" she asked, perplexed.  
  
"I've written a virus or two, myself. I know what to look for." He tapped another string. "Here, though." Another tap. "And here." Another tap." And here. It's almost like there're multiple viral infections in his file, except that according to what I can discern, it's all one virus."  
  
Christy blinked. "ONE virus?"  
  
"It's a brilliant piece of work," he stated, grinning childishly. "It looks like a trojan, but it's not, so I'd guess that it's polymorphic in nature. I think that it also has time-bomb properties, as it seems to have started whenever this file was downloaded. The main thing about this virus is that it looks like it was tailor-made for a specific purpose beyond the simple worm-infections or delete-all-executables viruses that we've come to know and love."  
  
"Can you tell what that purpose is?"  
  
Shingo frowned in concentration as he looked through the code some more. "I'm not sure, but I think I can hazard a guess and say that it was made to delete this specific file if anyone had ever downloaded it." He leaned back in his seat and looked back at Christy, his vision of her upside-down as he hung his head over the top of the chair. "Here's the scenario as far as I can see:  
  
"The victim host purposely infected this file with a virus specially-made to delete any copies of itself should any unauthorized people - like us, for example - should try and get ahold of it. Your friend hacks into their system, finds the file, downloads it, and gets out. All seems normal. Then, your friend tries to access the file. I can safely assume that there's a password on this file that will deactivate the virus for anyone authorized to view and work on it, otherwise, the virus activates and the file goes poof. No more file.  
  
"Now here," he added, sitting back up and pointing at a small string of code that had several gaps in it. "There's something else I'm missing that I'm sure is important. I know that this is also part of the viral code, but it's gone. Either it got deleted along with the original host - since this is only a temp file - or it executed its function already, so there was no need to copy itself." He stopped when he heard Christy suddenly gasp behind him. "What is it?"  
  
"You don't think...," she began, her expression obviously worried. "Could that piece of code possibly have been a trace function?"  
  
Now it was Shingo's turn to look surprised as he whirled back to the computer monitor. "I think... you might be right," he finished quietly, then turned back to look at her. "Now, why do you look like you're afraid of something? So, it's a trace function. A smart person would've bounced their signal before hacking into a system, so it's not like they'll find 'em right away. You know that." He smirked as he started to laugh. "What, you think that if they find your friend that they'll hire a hitman or something?"  
  
Christy blinked. Actually, that was exactly what she was thinking. She was about to say so when his laughter slowly died away.  
  
"You're not laughing, Christy," he said as his smile began to fade as well. "Tell me that you don't believe that they'd actually send an assassin after your friend."  
  
"N-no, of course not," she said with a slight stammer in her voice. "Ridiculous."  
  
"You always did make a horrible liar when it really counts, Christy," he sighed as he reached for his beer. "So, your friend could quite possibly have someone gunning for them." He took a long swallow and set the can down again. "Well, maybe we should see why." He turned back to the computer screen and started to run a few programs.  
  
"You're going to do it?" she asked. "So, what're you going to charge for this, Shingo?"  
  
He glanced back over his shoulder at her and grinned childishly once again. "Depends on how much fun I have."  
  
**********************************************  
  
He wasn't certain that it would work, but for her sake, he was going to try.  
  
Every day at certain intervals - he couldn't tell what time it was since they took his watch along with the rest of his clothes - they served them their breakfast, lunch, and dinner. However, they had to open the heavy metal doors in order to feed them and that meant that they had to have the keys on them in order to open the doors. Three meals, three opportunities for escape.  
  
As far as he could tell, it might be some time around 5pm since the daylight was beginning to wane. It was nearing time for their third and final feeding for the day. He hoped that it would be something more substantial than just bread and water, but he knew that his hoping was ultimately futile. It seemed that their jailors had watched one to many old prison movies.  
  
"Hotaru-chan?" he called out as he tapped on the wall.  
  
"Ryo-chan?" she called back, her voice sounding a bit weaker than usual.  
  
"Are you all right, Hotaru-chan?" he asked worriedly.  
  
There was a slight pause before she answered. "I don't feel so good, Ryo- chan. I'm starting to feel a little weak, like how I used to feel when I was little."  
  
He nodded, frowning. She told him about how she used to be frail as a little girl and how she had worked to strengthen herself to the point were she had the strength of an average girl her age. He admired her for that, but now, from the sound of it, she was slowly starting to decline. He didn't want all those years of hard work to fade away because some bastard kidnapped her and locked her up. It was all the more reason for him to get them out of here. Now.  
  
"Hotaru-chan, I'm gonna try and break us out of here. Tonight."  
  
"Tonight?" she gasped, surprised. "How? We don't even know where we are!"  
  
He sighed in frustration. "I know, but it's either waste away here until something happens, or take our chances and hopefully find our way to freedom. We're getting out of here tonight, Hotaru-chan. I promise you."  
  
There was another pause. "All right, Ryo-chan. I trust you."  
  
Ryoku listened carefully. Yes, there he was, grumbling about having to bring them their food, just like always. There was the sound of Hotaru's cell being unlocked first, and of her tray being set on the floor along with her metal cup of water. The was door closed and locked. His turn was next.  
  
Now was his time to strike.  
  
The door was unlocked and the door opened. He held his hand up to guard his eyes against the bright fluorescent light that flooded into the room as the man entered the room. He could almost make out the snarl that the man had on his face as he all but slammed his food tray on the floor along with his cup, almost splashing the water out of it.  
  
"Here's your food, punk," Zed growled irritably. "Take it before I decide you don't want it."  
  
Ryoku almost blinked in surprise. This was different. He never said anything to him before; he usually just put his stuff on the floor and left. Sure, he gave him an angry glare every now and then, but that was it. He wouldn't put it past the man to actually take back his food and let him starve. He quickly reached out for the food.  
  
That was when Zed kicked him in the chin.  
  
"Damn, that felt good," he crowed as he watched Ryoku hit the ground beside his tray. He hoped that broke his jaw, or at least loosened a few teeth. If he was lucky, that little bastard might've bit off a small piece of his tongue.  
  
Yeah, right. He could only wish.  
  
He turned back around and started for the door. "I should've done that days ago," he said smugly. "It's not like you can complain about it to anyone. After all, I'm the only one who brings you your food." He began to laugh as he started to close the door.  
  
Before the door could close all the way, Ryoku launched himself forward and tackled Zed into the wall outside of his cell. The attack surprised him enough that Ryoku was able to follow up his attack with a couple of disabling strikes, one to the throat and one to the groin in quick succession, which dropped the blonde man to his knees. A quick roundhouse kick to the base of his neck was enough to knock him to the floor, unconscious. However, to be safe, he kicked him in the side a couple of times, just to make sure that he was out cold.  
  
A quick search of Zed's body revealed that he kept the cell keys in his right trouser pocket. With a smug grin, he grabbed the keys and rushed over to Hotaru's cell. "Hotaru-chan, we're getting out of here!" he called out as he unlocked the door and swung it wide open.  
  
As soon as he opened the door, he paused at the sight of her. She was indeed dressed only in her underwear as he had last seen her, but she looked pale as if a good deal of her life had drained away from her.  
  
"Hello, beautiful," he said gently as he stepped into the cell and helped her to her feet.  
  
"Ryo-chan!" she said as she threw her arms around him in a warm embrace. "How-?"  
  
He cut off her question with a quick kiss. "It doesn't matter," he told her as he started to lead her out of her cell. "Let's just get out of here." He paused outside the cell as he thought of something. "Wait." He went back into his cell and came back out with his bread, then did the same with her bread. "Here," he said as he handed her both loaves. "I think you need them more than I do." She nodded and started to eat one as he quickly closed the two cell doors. No sense in leaving an obvious sign of their escape. "Now, let's go. The sooner we get out of here, the sooner we can find some help."  
  
**********************************************  
  
"Sir, the two prisoners have-"  
  
"Yes, I know," Mel interrupted dismissively. "I have security monitors up here, too." He spun his chair around toward his desk and opened one of the drawers on his left.  
  
"We can have a couple of guards dispatched and have them in hand within minutes," the voice reported from the phone. It was set on speaker phone at the moment.  
  
"Don't bother," he replied as he sat back up, bringing out a semi-automatic gun and placing it on his desk with a cold grin. "In fact, let them think that we haven't noticed. I'll be on my radio, so keep me informed as to where they're headed.  
  
"I'll be going to bring them in personally."  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
He stood up, sticking his gun into a holster around his left shoulder, and grabbed the two-way radio sitting in its battery charger. He turned it on and clipped it to his belt.  
  
"One more thing."  
  
"Yes, sir?"  
  
"Send someone to go wake up Blondie."  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
**********************************************  
  
Ryoku wasn't the type of person to look a gift horse in the mouth, so to speak, but for some reason, the ease of his escape was putting him on edge. He kept expecting an ambush around every turn, or for a pack of guards to suddenly come running after them. So far, nothing. No indication that they even knew that they were gone. Hopefully, that blonde man was still out cold. However, he wouldn't remain unconscious forever. The moment he woke up, they would sic the hounds on them. They had no time to waste.  
  
Hotaru had run out of breath quickly. She wasn't in any condition to run for such a prolonged length of time, so for the most part, he carried her in his arms as he ran. However, he wasn't in very good shape himself after living for over a week on nothing but bread and water, so they were currently resting.  
  
He chose this place to hide in particular since this was near a changing room. Even though the only articles of clothing there were over-sized - Hotaru identified them as clean room outfits, she said that she had worn them on the occasions when she went to visit her father while he was working in the clean room - it was better than wearing almost nothing.  
  
"Do you think you can run again?" he asked as he turned toward his girlfriend.  
  
"As long as we don't use these shoes," she replied as she held a pair of clean room shoes in front of her. "I'd certainly trip and fall if I had to run in these."  
  
"For now, we'll remain barefoot," he confirmed. "The shoes are for outside. Ready?"  
  
She nodded as she reached out to take his hand. "I'm ready."  
  
"Let's go," he said as they began to run again.  
  
Just as before, there were no signs of pursuit. No alarms. Nothing at all. Ryoku was almost certain that the blonde man had woken up by now, but the alarms remained silent. He was growing more and more apprehensive with each passing moment, but there was nothing for them to do but press forward.  
  
When they had stopped in that changing room, Ryoku had studied a map displaying the primary and secondary fire escape routes. They were following the primary route toward what he hoped to be the fastest way out of the building. Right now, they were heading toward the final stretch of hallway which would lead right to the exit. He was fully expecting an ambush just as they reached the door and was mentally preparing himself for it.  
  
They were halfway there. No signs of ambush.  
  
One quarter of the way there. No ambush.  
  
Fifty meters. No ambush.  
  
His hand was reaching out for the bar. Once he pushed down on it and push forward on the door, they were free.  
  
There was no signs of ambush or pursuit.  
  
Could it be? Did they really make it?  
  
His mind was screaming that there was something wrong, but he didn't care. They were free.  
  
He shoved down on the bar and pushed the door open.  
  
There was still some daylight left, even though the sun had finally set over the horizon. The Moon was visible in the sky above them, although the sky wasn't dark enough yet for any stars to be visible. A dry, arid breeze blew across the desolate landscape as Ryoku and Hotaru stared in overwhelming defeat.  
  
They were in the middle of nowhere.  
  
"Over a hundred miles of desert in every direction," a voice said from behind them. The two spun around to see the silver-haired man leaning against the building with a gun pointed at them. "The Mojave Desert, to be exact," he continued as he straightened and started to walk toward them.  
  
"The Mojave...," Ryoku whispered in disbelief.  
  
Mel smirked as lowered his gun. "I'll tell you what. You want to escape? Go right ahead." He placed his gun back in his holster and spread his arms out to his sides. "I won't even stop you. In fact, I'll even help you by telling you exactly where the closest city is." He raised an eyebrow expectantly. "Do you want me to tell you where that is?"  
  
"Where is it?" Hotaru asked hopefully.  
  
"In that direction," Mel said, jerking a thumb in a direction behind him. "One hundred and twelve miles due south-southwest is the city of Blythe."  
  
"One hundred and twelve miles?!?" Hotaru gasped.  
  
"Yes, and in desert country, too," Mel added as an afterthought. "It's quite a long walk, you know. It'd take days. I don't think you'd last for too long without any food or water. If you're still that determined to escape, you're more than welcome to try, but I don't expect either of you would survive the attempt."  
  
"So, it's either the desert, or back to our cells, is it?" he spat angrily. "After the way you treated us, I'm not so sure why I should even contemplate going back."  
  
"What, negotiating for better living environments, are we?" Mel asked, amused. "Very well. I'm not totally heartless. I think I have an idea of what you want. However, it's going to cost you. Nothing's free, you know." He paused long enough to smile maliciously. "No pun intended. Will you accept it?"  
  
"I don't have much choice, do I?" Ryoku muttered as he glanced toward Hotaru. There were tears in her eyes, but she nodded her agreement. "Very well. As long as you don't hurt Hotaru-chan, I accept. We'll surrender."  
  
"I knew you would," the silver-haired man said smugly. "Now then, let's get going." He raised his right hand and snapped his fingers. Instantly, several guards hurried forward and grabbed both teenagers by their arms. Behind the group of guards, the blonde man followed, glaring heatedly at Ryoku as he approached him.  
  
"You...," he snarled as he drew back and prepared to punch him in the face as hard as he could.  
  
"Zed," Mel called out sharply. The blonde man hesitated, but finally dropped his fist. "Not now. We have to bring our prisoners back into the compound first."  
  
Zed blinked, then grinned. "You mean...?"  
  
Mel turned to address the head guard. "Take them to the equipment room. I'll be joining you shortly." As the guard nodded his acknowledgement, Mel turned toward Ryoku and grinned maliciously again. "Remember when I said that it would cost you? Your first installment begins now. Consider it... punishment for attempting to escape. And don't worry; as promised, I won't hurt her."  
  
As the guards took the two teenagers away, Mel's parting words chilled Ryoku to the bone.  
  
"Of course, I can't make the same guarantee for Blondie. He never promised anything."  
  
**********************************************  
  
"All right, that'll do it for today," Amy announced. "Good job everyone. We'll pick it up same time tomorrow."  
  
"Ah, and so ends another day," G.Q. said as he walked up behind Amy. "We're getting that much closer to the end." He paused as he gave her a considering glance. "Tell me, will you be glad when this movie is over?"  
  
Amy sighed and slumped back in her chair. "G.Q., I think any director would tell you that they would be more than happy if their projects finish early."  
  
He chuckled. "Yes, that's true. But I wasn't talking about that." He glanced over to where Serena and Darien were talking as they left the building.  
  
"Oh, those two," she said as she understood what her friend was getting at. "In a way, I'll be sorry to see this movie completed. It's fun in its own way, watching those two act together. I can hardly wait to see those two on screen together. I have such a good feeling about those two, that I wouldn't be surprised if people started clamoring for a sequel."  
  
G.Q. nodded quietly and turned to leave. "Oh, before I forget, I need to warn you about something."  
  
"What is it?" Amy asked curiously.  
  
"Make sure no one tells Serena about this, but I heard that HE's back in the States," he said as he left. "He's in California, the L.A. area, to be specific. It almost seems like he's come back to see her...."  
  
"He? Who's...." She trailed off as she suddenly realized whom he was referring to. But, she thought that he had gone to Europe with that other woman. Why was he back here all of a sudden? Did he come back for Serena? Maybe she should let Darien know, at least. She looked over to where Serena and Darien were talking earlier and saw that they had both left already. Too late.  
  
"Well, if he is back for Serena, he's in for a surprise," she said with a hint of satisfaction in her voice.  
  
**********************************************  
  
Darien had some things to take care of at home, so Serena had the night to herself. She would've invited Tanya over, but she was on a date. One of the grips had caught her eye, so she decided to see if he was as interesting as she hoped he was.  
  
Not wanting to spend the entire night home alone, and not particularly caring to cook anything for herself since she had given her cook the night off yesterday, she decided on going out to one of her favorite night clubs for a while, just for some atmosphere. And a few drinks, of course.  
  
There were two reasons she loved this night club. One of the main reasons was because she loved the way the club was set up. It seemed like the kind of club you'd see in old black and white gangster or film noir movies. Soft red velvet carpet was everywhere except the polished dance floor up at the front. Farther back, there was the platform stairs where the club's singers would perform. The band - a respectable 30-piece jazz ensemble - had their section near the dance floor. The place was classy, so classy that you had to be in formal or semi-formal dress in order to get in. If you were wearing tennis shoes or jeans, you couldn't get in. Period.  
  
And the other reason was because of the club's name. The Silver Moon. Call her narcissistic, but how could she not love a night club with the same name as her? And because of her current role, it now made even more sense.  
  
Diane Silver. Serena Moon. The Silver Moon.  
  
Poetic.  
  
...sorta.  
  
No matter what the reason, she loved this place. She would have to bring Darien here one of these days. She had a feeling that he'd love it here, too. Besides, there was that nice dance floor out there and she was just dying to use it with him.  
  
That's it. He was coming with her tomorrow, no buts about it.  
  
"Miss Moon, how nice to see you again!" a waiter said as he came up to her table. "It has been way too long since you last graced us with your beautiful presence."  
  
"And it's been way too long since I've been subjected to your incredible sucking-up skills, Vince," she replied with a laugh. "So, how's Meredith?"  
  
"She's fine," he replied with a smile. "She's expecting now."  
  
Serena's eyes widened in delighted surprise. "She is? You lucky bastard. How far along is she?"  
  
"Three months," he replied proudly. "And I still have you to thank for introducing me to Meri. Why, if it wasn't for you-"  
  
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," she cut him off, waving her hand dismissively. "Like I haven't heard it from you before. Come on, quit with the melodramatics, all right?"  
  
Vince grinned. "As you wish, Miss Moon," he replied with a snooty air. "Would the lady care for a list of wines, or would you care for the usual?"  
  
"The usual, Vince," she replied with a grin. "Oh, and if you don't stop calling me 'Miss Moon', I'm gonna start calling you 'Vincent'. And I know how you dislike that name."  
  
"Aw, you're no fun at all, Serena," Vince lamented as he turned to leave. "I'll be back with your drink shortly."  
  
"Thanks, Vince," she called back to him as she leaned back in her seat. Tanya wasn't the only one who could play matchmaker.  
  
After Vince came back with her drink, she sat back and listened to the singer perform. It had been a long time since she had been here last. Almost a year, at least. It was probably because she used to come here so often with him before he left her. After that, she couldn't really enjoy herself here without thinking about him. Even now, she was thinking about him. Well, she had someone else now. Someone who truly loved her. Besides, it wasn't like she was going to see him again.  
  
"You're looking even more beautiful than I last saw you, Serena," a familiar voice said behind her. "I never realized such a thing was possible."  
  
Serena almost choked on her drink. 'That voice....' She turned in her seat and saw the face of someone who she never expected to see again.  
  
"Do you mind if I join you?" he asked as he moved toward an empty seat at her table and sat down with a smile.  
  
"Seiya???"  
  
**********************************************  
  
To Chapter 35  
  
**********************************************  
  
Author's Note: He's BAAAAaaaaack! ^_^ Yes, it's the return of Seiya(well, not really a return, since this is his first appearance, but... oh, you know what I mean). And guess what? I've broken my old record and made THIS my longest chapter to date! Well, only by a few bytes, but still.... Anyway, I've brought Jack and Diane(yes, I have noticed the similarity to the John Mellancamp song) to Sydney earlier than I planned, but for good reason. Also, things are starting to come together in the movie storyline. For those of you who were clamoring for it, the next chapter focuses on Serena and Darien... and Seiya, too, I suppose. Ah, well. Next chapter: Seiya reunites with Serena; Darien learns that Serena's ex is back in the States; Diane warns Michiru about her the threat to her Nijizuishou crystal; and Christy and Shingo learn of Project: Ginzuishou.  
  
Disclaimer: All original materials belong to their respective owners. Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi and a bunch of big companies. No copyright infringement is intended. This story belongs to Moonsong and myself, and I would appreciate you emailing her or myself for permission before posting it anywhere else. Thank you.  
  
Prologue Copyright © January 24, 2000 Moonsong. Other Chapters Copyright © August 12, 2000 Jason Ulloa. All Rights Reserved. 


	36. Chapter 35

Seeing Stars By Jason Ulloa Original story by Moonsong Continued with her permission.  
  
Chapter 35  
  
"Seiya," she snarled as considered splashing him with her drink. No, she paid for it and it would be a waste if she threw it at him. Maybe if she had some water....  
  
No, she wouldn't throw water at him. She was against water pollution. Maybe if she had some lighter fluid....  
  
"How nice of you to drop by - uninvited - and sit down with me - without permission - and act as though I'll accept it all with just a vacuous, airheaded, dumb-blonde grin," she continued venomously. "Excuse me while I take this gum out of my mouth so I can concentrate on something that requires higher thought processing."  
  
"Okay, I can see you're not all that happy to see me...," Seiya began.  
  
"What? Me, not happy to see you?" she cut in sarcastically. "The man who kicked me to the curb for some red-headed piece of ass? The man who cut out my heart and fed it through a paper shredder? The man who-"  
  
"I get the point."  
  
"No, I don't think you do," she said as she stood up and stepped over to him. "I loved you, Seiya. I loved you with all my heart. I gave you my heart, my soul-" she leaned in closer to his face, "-even my virginity. Everything. And in the end, it meant nothing to you."  
  
He dropped his eyes and stared down into his lap. "I know what I did was unforgivably stupid, but-"  
  
"But?" she snapped. "What, 'but?' As far as I'm concerned, there is no 'but' except the one I should kick, right here and right now. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't strangle you to death."  
  
"Serena, I came here to apologize for being such an assh-" Seiya was cut off as Serena executed a perfect right cross across his jaw.  
  
"Apology NOT accepted," she spat as she turned and signaled to Vince, who was already heading toward Serena's table. "Sorry about this, Vince."  
  
Vince glanced down at Seiya, who was wincing and rubbing his jaw as he slowly began to get up, and whistled. "Remind me to never piss you off," he remarked appreciatively.  
  
"Damn straight," she replied. It wasn't as satisfying as she hoped it would be, but it was better than nothing. Maybe she should've kicked him a couple of times after knocking him out of his chair, but that would've been uncivilized and unladylike. It would've made her feel a hell of a lot better, but it would've been uncivilized and unladylike, nonetheless. She was better than that. Most of the time.  
  
Still, she really should've snuck in that kick to the nuts. Perfect opportunity wasted. Oh, well.  
  
"Vince, can you please ring me up for a bottle of that wine instead of the glass?" she asked as she reached for her wineglass and downed the contents in one gulp. She knew that wasn't the way to enjoy her wine, but she had already paid for it. Besides, she needed something to wash out the taste of all the venom she spat out at that bastard.  
  
"Serena," Seiya called out to her, but she ignored him.  
  
"Come on," she said as she took Vince's arm and started dragging him behind her. "I'm going to the register, so can you please have someone get me that bottle?"  
  
"Uh... c-certainly, Miss M... err, Serena," Vince stammered as he let himself be dragged along. "Boy.... This's certainly been one of my more interesting nights...."  
  
"Serena, wait!" Seiya shouted as he started after her. This time, Serena did react by turning a cold glare at him, cold enough to rival any Antarctic blizzard thrice over. The stare was cold enough to freeze him in his tracks for as long as she continued to stare at him.  
  
"Why should I wait, Seiya?" she asked, her voice icy. "Give me one good reason - one VERY good reason - for me to wait and listen to what you have to say, and I'll consider possibly listening to what you have to say to me." She turned to completely face him. "You have five seconds."  
  
"Serena, I know what I did was unexcusable and unforgivable," he said quickly. "I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for putting you through what I did. I am honestly and truly sorry. I had no idea of what I truly had, of what I had given up for something so superficial. What we had was something special and I'd give anything I have to have it back again."  
  
"You want us to get back together again, is that it?" Serena asked as she strode over to him, her expression completely neutral. "Is that what you want? Is that what you hoped to accomplish by seeing me and begging for my forgiveness? Is that it?"  
  
Seiya took a deep breath and nodded. "Yes, Serena."  
  
"Very well, then. I'll forgive you and get back with you again. All you have to do is give me something."  
  
He smiled gratefully. "Anything, Serena. Anything for you. What is it? Whatever it is, I'll see to it that it's yours."  
  
Serena leaned forward until her face was only six inches away from his and smiled coolly. "I want my virginity back." Her smile deepened as she watched his disappear. "No? Very well, then." With that, she turned around and started to leave again.  
  
"Serena, you know that's impossible!" Seiya shouted at her retreating back.  
  
"An impossible task for an impossible task," she replied without turning back. "Seems fair to me." She left Seiya standing there, staring at her with a determined expression on his face.  
  
"Your forgiveness, impossible?" he murmured as he watched her leave the club with her bottle of wine. "Getting back together, impossible? Serena, you, of all people, should know that nothing is impossible."  
  
Seiya sat down at the table that Serena had previously vacated and lifted the wineglass that Serena had been using. He lifted the glass to his nose and sniffed. Ah, a Merlot. He signaled to a passing waiter and asked for a bottle of the same wine. The waiter nodded and wrote down the order, then reached over to take the used wineglass.  
  
"Wait," Seiya said, stopping him. "Leave the glass, please."  
  
"It would be better if you used a clean glass, sir."  
  
"Yes, I know. But, can you please leave the glass anyway?"  
  
The waiter gave him a perplexed look, then shrugged. "As you wish, sir."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
After the waiter returned with his wine - and a clean glass, in case he changed his mind - Seiya nodded his thanks and indicated that he'd pour his wine himself. The waiter nodded and left, shrugging to himself.  
  
He poured himself a glass of wine using Serena's discarded wineglass and sat back, listening to the band play a slow dance. There were some people out on the floor dancing, swaying back and forth to the music. He lifted the glass in a silent toast and took a sip.  
  
To the day when Serena would be his once again. He would not make the mistake he did when he left her. This time, there would be no others. Just her. He swore it.  
  
**********************************************  
  
"Damn him...," Serena slurred as she took another pull at the bottle. Of course, wine was never meant to be drank like this, but seeing as she was lacking in any other sources of alcohol, it was either get sloshed on too much wine, or remain sober.  
  
After her encounter with Seiya earlier, remaining sober just wasn't an option anymore.  
  
Her car parked and her keys out of the ignition and in her purse, she was safe to get as fall- down, stinking drunk as she could on just one bottle of wine. Of course, it wasn't nearly enough, but she took what she could get.  
  
Now, where was she, again?  
  
Serena tossed the empty bottle onto the passenger seat, where it promptly bounced onto the floor, and slowly got out of the car. She was about to close the door when she remembered her purse was still in the car. She stumbled back into the car, retrieved her purse, then climbed back out of the car again, locking the doors before she closed them.  
  
While she slowly and deliberately made her way forward, she glanced around at her surroundings. The area wasn't all that familiar, however, the apartment complex she was walking toward did seem a little familiar....  
  
Oh, yeah. This was Darien's apartment complex. Now she remembered.  
  
Well, he wouldn't mind if she paid him a little surprise visit, right? She had even brought a bottle of wine with her.  
  
Oh, wait. She just drank it all. Never mind.  
  
Well, he had some drinks in his fridge. She was sure he wouldn't mind if she had a few with him.  
  
'Now, where was his apartment again?' she thought as she continued on her way. 'Oh, yeah. Building D. That was... the one on the corner, right? No, that's building B. Building A was next to the parking lot.... Ah! There it is! Now, he lives on the third floor. Okay, so where's the elevator?'  
  
She stumbled her way around building D, searching for the elevator, until she finally remembered something important. 'Oh, that's right. His complex doesn't have an elevator. That sucks....'  
  
A long and labored twenty-minute climb later, Serena finally reached the third floor, almost falling down the stairs three times in the process.  
  
'Dammit, Darien.... Why'd you have to go and live on the third floor, anyway? Now then, what was his apartment number? 331? 323? 312? Something like that. I think it was the one on the very corner.... Ah! Here it is! 321!'  
  
"Darien!" she shouted as she pounded loudly on his apartment door. "Hey, Darien! You in there? Hey, you in there? Darien, you in th- Oh! Oh, I'm so sorry, Darien! Are you all right?"  
  
Darien had opened the door just in time to have Serena pound on his nose instead of the wooden apartment door.  
  
"Ow...," he replied as he gingerly rubbed his nose. "Well, I've had worse, so I think I'll live. You didn't break it, if that's what you're worried about."  
  
"Oh, that's good," she said, breathing a sigh of relief. That's when she finally noticed that Darien had come to the door without a shirt on. She was now staring openly at his chest with a goofy grin on her face. "Why, Darien, what a wonderful way to greet your girlfriend at the door!"  
  
Darien blinked at the sudden change of subject, then moved aside. "Um, would you like to come in, Serena?" No sooner than he said that, Serena had rushed inside, closed the door behind her, and wrapped her arms around him, kissing him almost desperately. Caught off guard, Darien stumbled backward and fell to the floor, taking Serena with him. Fortunately, the floor was carpeted, so the tumble only drove the wind from his lungs. During the fall, they had both turned their heads so that they wouldn't smash their noses together when they hit the floor. The result was that she only hit her head against his cheek where his jaw met the rest of his skull.  
  
"Well... that was certainly... one of the most interesting hellos that I've ever received in my life," Darien said with a laugh as he sat up. "Sorry about my state of dress, but I was working on my stove when you came in. Damn thing won't light and the maintence personnel are all busy taking care of other problems. A broken stove is a minor problem in comparison to.... But I'm just ranting. So, what brings you here...?" He trailed off as he noticed that her eyes were just slightly red from what he could only assume to be tears. Her breath smelled of alcohol, so she had to have been drinking not too long ago.  
  
"Serena, what happened?" he asked, deep concern evident in his voice as he embraced her. However, this only caused her to start crying.  
  
"Just...," she whispered in between sobs. "Just... hold me."  
  
Darien silently held her as she cried. It didn't matter that they were still on the floor, or that he didn't have a shirt on, or any other small detail for that matter. All that did matter was that Serena was hurting. And he wanted to make her feel better. He wanted to make the hurting stop, but he knew that it wasn't possible to make all hurts stop. Still, that didn't stop him from wishing it.  
  
Soon, her crying began to subside. He was about to ask her if she was feeling any better when she suddenly covered his mouth with hers, kissing him in the same manner as she did before she had started crying. She then went to kissing his neck, then chest, while Darien stared, completely perplexed.  
  
"Not that I'm not enjoying this, Serena, but don't you think it'd be better if you weren't... you know, drunk?"  
  
"Me? Drunk?" Serena replied as she ran her fingers up and down his chest. "Bah. One bottle of wine isn't enough to put me under. I'm perfectly fine. I could have another bottle and I'd be all right. So...," she purred as she began to straddle him, "just sit back and don't worry about a thing."  
  
"But, Serena, I think you need-"  
  
His sentence was cut off as she placed a silencing finger on his lips. "No, I'm perfectly fine. I had a good cry and it's all out of my system now. What I need now," she continued as she took off her blouse, then reached down to undo the belt on Darien's pants, "is for  
  
you to make love to me." She was about to undo the belt when Darien took both of her hands in his, stopping her from going any further.  
  
"As much as I would love to do as you want, you're drunk, Serena."  
  
"I am not," she insisted as she tried to pull her hands from his. He refused to release her hands.  
  
"Serena, you are drunk," he repeated as he sat up, causing her to lose her balance and tumble backward onto his legs. He pulled himself out from underneath Serena and stood up, then bent down to pick her up in his arms and set her down on a chair while he pulled out the bed portion of his convertible couch/bed and set one of his two pillows down on the bed. With that done, he gently picked her up again and set her down on the bed. He then brought out a blanket and draped it over her.  
  
"There," he said as he slid a caring hand down her cheek. "Rest for a couple of hours or so. After you sober up, if you still want to make love to me, then I'll be more than happy to do so for however long you want. But, I won't do it while you're completely drunk. I won't take advantage of you like this. Now, get some rest." He turned and went back into the kitchen, where he continued to work on fixing his stove.  
  
As Darien continued his repair work, Serena stared over toward the kitchen, her expression one of bewildered surprise. His words kept playing over and over in her head. He wouldn't take advantage of her while she was drunk. Once again, Darien proved how much of a nice guy and a good man he was. There was as much difference between him and Seiya as there was between day and night. There was no comparison. She smiled, knowing that this time she had definitely chosen wisely.  
  
Well, she was in no condition to be going anywhere for a while. She might as well get some rest....  
  
**********************************************  
  
"Feeling better?" she heard Darien ask as she opened her eyes.  
  
"Mmph...," she moaned as she shut her eyes again. "My head feels a little thick.... I think I'm gonna have one hell of a headache in the morning...."  
  
"Well, you certainly sound much better," he said as he reached over toward his table and grabbed a couple of asprin and a glass of water. "Here. This will help a little when you go back to sleep."  
  
Serena sat up and took the offered asprin and water. "Thanks, Darien. And yeah, I am feeling much better."  
  
"So, what happened that made you do this?" he asked, concerned. "You were fine when you left the studio."  
  
She handed back the glass of water and laid back down, only this time with her head in Darien's lap instead of on the pillow. "I never told you what my last boyfriend's name was, did I?" she said quietly as she let him gently stroke her head.  
  
"No, you didn't."  
  
"You might know anyways," she said bitterly. "It was very popular with the entertainment news industry."  
  
"I never really bothered to keep up with actors' love lives," he replied indifferently. "I had enough trouble with my own love life."  
  
"You're kidding me," she said with genuine surprise. "You mean, you haven't heard about that big break-up that I had a year ago?"  
  
"Oh, I heard of it," he replied. "I just didn't care back then. I don't even remember the guy's name."  
  
"Oh. Anyway, my ex-boyfriend's name is Kou Seiya. I saw him at The Silver Moon today."  
  
Darien's hands stopped for a moment. "I see," he said as he continued to caress her. "So, that's why you were such a wreck earlier."  
  
"I didn't even think that he would come back here after he left with his red-haired whore to go to Europe, but there he was. And that rat bastard wanted to get back together with me!"  
  
"Did you tell him that you were already taken?"  
  
Serena stiffened in Darien's hands. "Oh, why didn't I think about telling him that? I was so upset that it completely slipped my mind to tell him that. I'm so sorry, Darien...."  
  
"It's fine, Serena. If he tries again, you can always tell him that you already have a loving boyfriend who worships you like the goddess that you are, and that he can go crawl in a hole and die."  
  
"I'll certainly tell him that," she said with a laugh.  
  
"There's more than that, isn't there?" he asked quietly.  
  
She was quiet for a minute before she answered. "Can I ask you something personal, Darien?"  
  
"You can ask me anything, Serena. You know that."  
  
"Yes, I do know that," she said, nodding. "Darien, before you met me, were you a virgin?"  
  
"Honestly..., no, I wasn't."  
  
"Let me guess. You lost your virginity to Raye, right?"  
  
Darien looked down at Serena. She was looking up at him with a genuinely curious expression on her face. This wasn't a question spurned by jealousy, but by interest in him as a person.  
  
"That was before I met you, when I thought that Raye loved me. Before she started to become more and more distant, I thought that she might've been the woman that I would marry someday. If I had never met Raye, then you would be dating a virgin... or former virgin, rather." He smiled down understandingly at her. "Let me guess. It was the same with you, right?"  
  
She nodded. "Well, we certainly know how to pick 'em, huh, Darien?" she said with a bitter laugh.  
  
Darien reached down and cupped her cheek in his left hand. "Yes, Serena. We certainly do."  
  
Serena sat up and leaned forward to softly kiss Darien. "I have an idea. How about we both pretend that our previous relationships never happened? I don't like the idea that I gave my virginity to that dickhead. I would rather that I had given it to you."  
  
"Even though I consider Raye a friend, I would rather that you were the one and not her," he told her as he held her. "I like that idea of yours, Serena."  
  
Serena reached over toward the table and picked up a pencil that was lying near the edge of the table. "Then, with a wave of my magic wand, history has been erased. We are now virgins again."  
  
"In spirit, only," Darien amended.  
  
"Well, I could always say that my hymen was torn due to rigorous physical training," she replied. "It has happened before, you know."  
  
"You're not an Olympic athelete," he pointed out.  
  
"Oh, nitpick, nitpick," she said as she playfully swatted his knee. "All right, then. We'll just have to say it broke the old-fashioned way. You did it. Or rather, you're going to do it."  
  
He smiled again. "Fine with me. How's your head?"  
  
"Much better, but I think I'd better take some more asprin to be sure. I guess it'll just have to wait until tomorrow, then."  
  
"Oh, darn," he said, making a show of being disappointed. "Well, it's getting late anyway. We should get some sleep."  
  
"Can you help me get out of the rest of my clothes, Darien?" she asked.  
  
"All right. Oh, and I hung up your blouse in my closet so it wouldn't get wrinkled."  
  
"How considerate," she said as she lifted one foot toward Darien so that he could slip off her shoe, then the other one. "Can you hang up my skirt with it?"  
  
"Sure," he replied as Serena tossed him her skirt and went into the bathroom. "Do you need to take a shower before bed?" he asked as he came out of the bathroom in only his boxers.  
  
"I usually do that in the mornings. It helps me wake up and start the day fresh."  
  
He nodded. "Me, too. When do you usually get up in the morning?"  
  
"Around 6am or 7am. You?"  
  
"Same time."  
  
They both shared a playful grin as Darien set his alarm for 5am and settled in to go to sleep.  
  
"Good night, Darien."  
  
"Good night, Serena."  
  
**********************************************  
  
To Chapter 36  
  
**********************************************  
  
Author's Note: Surprise! It's a chapter devoted entirely to the Serena and Darien plotline! Merry Christmas! Hope you enjoy it. Well, now that we've got Raye going after Darien and Seiya going after Serena, do you think that things will be going smoothly for our favorite couple? Of course not. What kinda story doesn't have conflict on some level, right? Speaking of which, things will be heating up on the movie side of things. Next chapter: Diane warns Michiru about her the threat to her Nijizuishou crystal; Christy and Shingo learn of Project: Ginzuishou; and Jed goes after the sixth Nijizuishou crystal.  
  
Disclaimer: All original materials belong to their respective owners. Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi and a bunch of big companies. No copyright infringement is intended. This story belongs to Moonsong and myself, and I would appreciate you emailing her or myself for permission before posting it anywhere else. Thank you.  
  
Prologue Copyright © January 24, 2000 Moonsong. Other Chapters Copyright © August 12, 2000 Jason Ulloa. All Rights Reserved. 


	37. Chapter 36

Seeing Stars By Jason Ulloa Original story by Moonsong Continued with her permission.  
  
Chapter 36  
  
Amy was talking with G.Q. when she spotted someone waving at her. She turned to see a blonde woman in a white blouse and red skirt with a large red bow in her hair walk up to her, smiling cheerily. She recognized that red bow, as well as the woman wearing it.  
  
"Good morning, Miss Blake," she said as Mina joined the two. "What brings you here?"  
  
"Oh, I just wanted to check up on Darien," she replied. "You know, see how he's doing. You're not working him too hard, right?" she added playfully.  
  
"Miss Blake is Darien's agent," Amy explained to G.Q.  
  
"You can just call me Mina, babe," she said, extending her hand. "Or, you can just call me," she added with a wink.  
  
G.Q. blinked for a moment, then smiled. "A pleasure to meet you, Mina," he said as he shook her hand.  
  
"It's just as well that you're here, Miss Blake," Amy continued. "I wanted- "  
  
"Amy, Amy, Amy...," Mina sighed as she shook her head. "I thought I told you to call me Mina. I hate all that formal 'Miss' stuff." She paused. "What was it you wanted, Amy?"  
  
She repressed the urge to sigh. "It's about Darien, actually."  
  
Mina's smile dropped. "It's nothing bad, right?" she asked.  
  
Amy quickly shook her head. "Oh, no. Quite the opposite, in fact."  
  
"Reeeeeally...?" Mina said in a slow drawl as her smile returned. "Well, then let's hear it."  
  
"We're very pleased with the work I've been getting from Darien. I've spoken with Melvin and we want to contract him for two more movies."  
  
Mina's jaw almost dropped. "You're serious?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
The blonde agent clasped her hands together and stared starry-eyed at the ceiling. "Oh, I can't believe it! My Darien's becoming a star!"  
  
Amy resisted the urge to roll her eyes in exasperation at Mina's antics. G.Q. blinked again, then shrugged. Must be an agent thing.  
  
"So, where's Darien, anyway?" she asked as she glanced around the set. "I can't wait to break the news to him!"  
  
"I haven't seen him yet, but perhaps we should discuss the contract first before you break the news to him?" Amy suggested.  
  
Mina blinked, then slapped a hand to her forehead in chagrin. "Ah, silly me. Of course, we should."  
  
As Amy turned to leave, she glanced over at G.Q. "Would you let me know when Serena and Darien get here? We'll start then." G.Q. nodded and she left for the conference room with Mina following behind her.  
  
**********************************************  
  
"I told you that we're gonna be late!" Darien said as he ran through the studio doors with Serena a step behind him.  
  
"Oh, shut up," she retorted. "I don't recall you worrying about being late an hour ago."  
  
"I had my mind on... other things, then," he replied as they slowed to a walk. They were in the studio now, so they didn't need to run anymore.  
  
Serena smiled slyly. "Of course, you did. And don't tell me that you don't think that it was worth it."  
  
He smiled back. "Oh, it was most definitely worth it," he agreed. "No arguement there." He glanced around as a puzzled look came across his face. "Hey, do you see Amy anywhere?"  
  
"No, I don't see her anywhere, either," she replied. "How strange. She's usually one of the first people here." She stopped as she spotted Melvin speaking with the Evans twins at craft services. "Hey, Melvin! You seen Amy anywhere?"  
  
"Fashionably late?" Jason asked, raising an eyebrow as they joined them.  
  
"Quiet, you," Serena said warningly. The stuntman replied with a dramatic, elaborate bow. "And knock that off!"  
  
"It's only fifteen minutes, anyway." Lita said, elbowing her brother in the side. Jason just grinned.  
  
"Last time I saw Amy, she was talking with G.Q. over...." Melvin trailed off as he noticed G.Q. walking over to them. "Ah, here comes G.Q. now. You can ask him where she is."  
  
"Darien, Amy wants you and Serena to get ready for the next scene," G.Q. said as he approached the group. "Amy will join us shortly. She's in the middle of speaking with Darien's agent right now."  
  
Darien blinked in surprise. "My agent? She's speaking with my agent right now? Why?"  
  
"Amy will let you know when she's done," G.Q. replied.  
  
"Well, I guess she'll tell you when she tells you," Serena said. "Shall we go and get ready for the next scene?"  
  
He shrugged. "Might as well."  
  
**********************************************  
  
After he had finished preparing for the next scene, Darien decided to hang around craft services until Amy was ready for him. Tanya was hanging around with him, looking slightly bored.  
  
"Man, how long am I gonna be stuck in that bed?" she complained as she grabbed a small bag of chips. "Can't we get to some scenes where I'm out of that damn bed already?"  
  
Darien tried to suppress the urge to grin. She was almost pouting, and she looked silly pouting. "You almost sound like a little kid," he told her. Well, a little teasing couldn't hurt....  
  
Tanya turned and stuck out her tongue at him. This time, he did laugh. "So, I like acting immature every now and then. It's fun. You should try it sometime," she added with a grin, then leaned toward him conspiratorily. "Don't tell her I told you this, but Serena and I used to do this a lot. She can pull off the dumb blonde act so well, you'd believe that she actually was one."  
  
"Really?" he said, raising an eyebrow. "I can hardly see her as a dumb blonde. She's obviously anything but." He bent down and grabbed a soda from one of the ice chests and opened it. "Not that I think she couldn't do it, of course," he amended after taking a short drink.  
  
"Oh, she's really convincing, all right. Trust me."  
  
Darien was about to reply when he heard someone shout his name.  
  
"Darien! Sweetheart!" Mina said as she ran up to him and all but tackled him in a huge bear hug.  
  
"Uh... friend of yours?" Tanya asked, blinking in confused surprise.  
  
"Excuse me."  
  
Darien stiffened immediately. That was Serena's voice. And it didn't sound happy. Considering what this looked like, he could understand, but this wasn't what it looked like.  
  
"Um... this... ah, this isn't what it looks like, Serena," he explained sheepishly.  
  
"Darien, I just can't get over this!" Mina gushed as she let him go and clasped both hands together eagerly. "It's so...." She flung her arms to her sides excitedly. "Wow! I knew you had potential, babe, but you managed so much more than I thought you would!"  
  
Serena and Tanya both blinked, exchanged puzzled looks, then looked back at the blonde bundle of enthusiasm again. "Darien, who is she?" Serena asked, her voice no longer as cold as it was a moment ago, but still wary.  
  
Darien was about to answer when Mina turned around to see both Serena and Tanya staring at her. "Oh! Serena Moon and Tanya Cambridge! It's such an honor to meet the both of you!" she gushed as she reached out to shake their hands. "The name's Mina Blake. I'm Darien's agent."  
  
Serena tried not to stare again as she and Tanya shook her hands. SHE was his agent? This hyperactive, breezy poster-girl for dumb blondes? 'Wait. Maybe she's only acting like this because she so excited over something,' she thought. 'But what's she so excited over?'  
  
"Why're you here, anyway?" Darien asked, curious.  
  
"What, can't a girl check up on her client?" Mina asked as she put a hand on her hip and gave him a level glance. "You know, see how he's doing? I wouldn't be much of an agent if I didn't drop by see how you're doing every now and then. Besides, I had some possible parts for you to take on after your work here was finished, but after speaking with Amy, I can safely say that we can toss them out the window," she said as she calmed down. Her grin began to widen considerably. "Amy and Melvin want to contract you for another two movies! In fact, she's speaking with him and G.Q. right now on that exact subject."  
  
"What?!?" Darien exclaimed in disbelief. "You're serious?"  
  
"Damn serious," Mina agreed with a curt nod. "Right now, we're in the middle of negotiations for that contract."  
  
Tanya gave him a congratulatory slap on the back. "Way to go, Darien!" she cheered. "You're on your way to becoming a star!"  
  
"Well, damn," Serena said as she folded her arms and smirked. "Looks like you're on your way sooner than I thought, Darien."  
  
"Two more movies...," he breathed, his eyes wide in joyful disbelief. "I can hardly believe it."  
  
"I know what you mean," Mina agreed and hugged him again. "I knew you'd eventually get your big break, Darien. I'm just so happy I was able to play a small part in making it happen."  
  
"Not to mention that you're making that much more now that I'm playing bigger roles," he teased wryly.  
  
Mina smiled and scratched the back of her head sheepishly. "Well, yeah. That, too," she admitted. "A girl can have more than one reason to be happy, you know."  
  
"Are you both ready for the next scene?" Amy asked as she walked up to the group.  
  
"Sure," Serena confirmed while Darien just nodded.  
  
"Good. Take your places, then." She turned to Mina as the two actors took their places. "So, you wanted to see how he acts in a role of this caliber?"  
  
She nodded seriously. "I've mostly seen him do extra work and small parts. If he's going to be doing more important roles such as this, then I need to know how well he can really act. That way I can figure out how much his acting skills are really worth. I won't have my client sign a contract that pays him less than he's worth."  
  
Amy nodded thoughtfully as she took that in. "You're certainly more shrewd than I took you for earlier, Mina," she remarked.  
  
Mina smiled knowingly. "I get that all the time. My personality kinda throws people off sometimes, ya know? They tend to underestimate me, which I certainly don't mind taking full advantage of. Besides, I prefer to let my work speak for itself," she added with a wink.  
  
"I see," Amy said, amused. "Well then, shall we go?" she asked, nodding her head toward the set.  
  
"Lead the way."  
  
**********************************************  
  
Jack couldn't help but stare in awe. He had never seen a Nijizuishou crystal until now, and it certainly was a thing of beauty. The gem was almost like a diamond in shape - right down to its traditional round cut - but certainly not color.  
  
He had never seen a violet diamond before.  
  
The light shining from the top of the display was set in just the right position to cause the Violet Nijizuishou to reflect a dazzling display of violet light in many different hues. It was almost like a rainbow of violet.  
  
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Diane said as she walked up beside him and took his arm in hers.  
  
"Yes," Jack nodded as he glanced down at Diane. "So," he asked, lowering his voice, "what did you find?"  
  
She leaned closer to him moved her arm around his waist, instead of around his arm. They were supposed to be just another couple visiting the museum. If the people around them saw that they were talking quietly amongst themselves as they wandered around the museum, that was hardly out of the ordinary, right? And if they were leaning close together like they were doing now, they're supposed to be a couple, right? Couples do those sort of things. And if Diane happened to enjoy having Jack's arm around her shoulders like it was right now, then it was all the better. Nothing wrong with enjoying herself as she worked. Whoever said that mixing business with pleasure was a bad thing obviously didn't know what they were missing.  
  
"There are at least four security cameras in every single room," Diane began as she leaned her head on his shoulder and stared at the Violet Nijizuishou crystal. "Not only that, but armed guards patrol the museum regularly every hour." She didn't know why, but she liked Hotaru's Orange Nijizuishou better than this one. Maybe it was because it was Hotaru's. 'Damn, I miss that girl. I hope she's all right....'  
  
"Guard complement?"  
  
"I counted around seventeen guards total," she continued. "Three guards remain in the security room at all times, watching the monitors. There is a monitor for each room, however each monitor can only show the display from one camera at a time."  
  
"Good to know," he murmured quietly to himself.  
  
Diane frowned slightly as she caught the small undertone in his voice. "Something wrong, Jack?" she asked as she lifted her head to look at him.  
  
He started to shake his head, but sighed instead. "Tanya would've loved to be in on something like this."  
  
"Oh?" she asked, amused. "She wanted to rob a museum?"  
  
He gave her wry look. "Of course not," he replied flatly. "The planning, though. She would've enjoyed something like this. She loves challenges and the idea of trying to catch a thief at his own game would certainly appeal to her." He shrugged and gave her a small, wistful grin. "Considering what we're up against, it's just as well she's not here."  
  
Diane awarded him a small comforting smile. "I think she'd understand," she said as she laid her head back down on his shoulder. "Now, what did you find out?"  
  
"It's a standard museum jewelry display," he told her. "I nudged one of the ropes ringing the display and no alarms went off, so they're just for show." He reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out a pair of sunglasses. "Here. Put these on."  
  
"What are they?" she asked, assuming that the shades weren't as ordinary as they looked.  
  
"I had these made a long time ago, back when I first started working as a private investigator," he explained. "I knew a guy on the force who maintained all the infrared and night vision goggles that the SWAT team used. He owed me a favor and built these out of an old pair of infrared goggles that weren't serviceable anymore."  
  
"I know this's a silly question, but why do you have a pair of infrared sunglasses?"  
  
"They come in handy whenever I have to make plans for robbing a museum."  
  
Diane blinked. "Right. Ask a silly question...."  
  
"I needed them for a job one of my first clients gave me," Jack continued. "Short version of the story is that my client suspected that his neighbor had stolen something of his, but he needed proof. So, I went to take a look around. However, the guy was a total security nut. Security cameras just about everywhere, guard dogs... and infrared lasers surrounding the top of his walls. Big mess, that was."  
  
She blinked in surprise. "You're joking."  
  
"You've got those shades in your hand, don't you?"  
  
More blinking. "You're serious?"  
  
"Being a private investigator can be harder than being a cop sometimes," he told her.  
  
"How did that job turn out?" she asked, intrigued.  
  
"Remind me to tell you more about it later," he said after a second of thought. "Now, put those on and look at the display."  
  
She did so and glanced up at the display. She blinked as several beams of infrared light became visible to her.  
  
"There's a column of infrared lasers ringing the display case," he continued. "I can't get close enough to the beams without crossing the ropes and causing security to become suspicious of us, but I can guess that there is barely enough room to fit the crystal through without tripping the alarms.  
  
"Getting to the crystal through the glass case without tripping the alarms is another story. It'll be hard to cut the glass with the lasers in the way. Also, there's really no way of telling if there's a pressure-sensitive alarm underneath that crystal."  
  
"So, getting this crystal isn't going to be as easy as all the rest, huh?" Diane said as she turned to leave, tugging on Jack's arm to get him to come with her. "Come on, Jack. I don't think we can learn anything more today. We might as well go back and start making our own plans."  
  
**********************************************  
  
Artemis' cell phone rang just as he was about to turn in for the night. Setting down his book, he reached over toward the end table for his phone. "D'Loire here."  
  
"Hey, Artie. Guess who?"  
  
"So, where are you now?" he asked promptly.  
  
"What? No 'Why, Diane! It's been so long! How've you been?' Just 'Where am I now?' You hurt my feelings, Artie," Diane pouted.  
  
"Cut the bull, Diane," Artemis said tiredly. "Where are you now?"  
  
There was a pause before Diane spoke again. "We're in Sydney, Artie," she replied in a slightly subdued tone of voice. "Is something wrong? It's not like you to snap at anyone; least of all, me."  
  
Artemis sighed heavily. "I'm still staying with Professor Tomoe and Mrs. Kino, Diane. Kaye is beside herself with worry over the both of them and asked me if I wouldn't mind staying here until this is over. She says that they would feel better if they had some law enforcement official here, in case something happens.  
  
"Mrs. Kino isn't eating and Professor Tomoe still refuses to leave his lab," he continued solemnly. "I just went to see Mrs. Kino this afternoon and she's looking really terrible right now. I don't think she's slept well in weeks. And I can just imagine what Professor Tomoe looks like. Diane, please tell me you've got something encouraging to report."  
  
"I don't know if this's good enough, Artie, but Jack and I waiting for our kidnapper/thief to show up here so we can nail him," she replied. "As soon as we grab him, I figure I can get the information out of him. He'll tell us where they are."  
  
"How can you be so sure?"  
  
There was a pronounced silence on Diane's end. "He'll tell us, Artie," she said coldly.  
  
"Now, Diane," he said warningly. "You're not going to do something that'll- "  
  
"Dammit, Artie," she cut him off, "I don't give a rat's ass about all that right now! What has to be done, has to be done. If you've got to arrest me for it, fine. But, I will find Hotaru and Ryoku first."  
  
Artemis dropped his hand into his lap, along with his phone, and sighed deeply. "Damn you, Diane," he muttered under his breath. "You're going to be the death of me, yet." He raised the phone back up to his ear. "I'll trust you to do what is best, Diane. But, remember that you will be held accountable for all your actions, even if you aren't officially on this case. Remember that."  
  
"I will."  
  
"Good," he said with a nod. "Now, is there anything else, Diane?"  
  
"There's one more thing, Artie. I need a favor. Before we left for Sydney, we did some research on the final two Nijizuishou crystals, which is how we knew to come here to Sydney when our man comes for the Violet Nijizuishou crystal. However, we need to warn the owner of the Indigo Nijizuishou crystal that there is going to be an attempt to steal her crystal."  
  
"So, you want one of us to call the owner of the Indigo Nijizuishou crystal and warn her?" Artemis asked.  
  
"No, I'd rather warn her myself," she replied. "I just need you to get me her number. Her name is Michiru Kaiou. She's a professional violinist and she lives in Hong Kong."  
  
Artemis nodded to himself as he wrote down the information. "All right, Diane. I'll have someone on it shortly."  
  
"Thanks, Artie. I know it's getting late over there, so I'll let you get back to whatever you were doing."  
  
"All right, Diane. Thanks and keep me posted."  
  
"You got it, Artie. Bye."  
  
Artemis hung up his phone and set it down in his lap for a moment. "Good luck, Diane," he murmured to himself. "I sure hope you know what you're doing. And I hope it's not something reckless or stupid. I taught you better than that."  
  
With another sigh, he picked up his phone and dialed one of the agents on duty. He had been sighing an awful lot lately, with good reason. He wasn't young anymore and this case was certainly aging him. But he made a promise to Kaye and to Professor Tomoe and Mrs. Kino. He would stick with this until the end.  
  
He promised.  
  
**********************************************  
  
It had been a long day. She had a concert in only two more days and some of the orchestra still hadn't gotten their parts down yet. Her accompaniment was an essential part of her performance; she wouldn't sound as good without the accompanying music to play along with. Her violin music would sound empty and dull without it. At least, it would for the song she was performing for that concert. It was too late to change to a violin solo or a song with a smaller accompaniment. Which meant that the orchestra needed to pick it up, or they'd all sound bad.  
  
Michiru sighed as she plopped down onto her bed and stared up at the ceiling. There wasn't much left that she could do. It was all up to those few orchestra members to practice and improve.  
  
Anyway, she was too tired to care about all that right now. All she wanted was to just stretch out on her bed and relax.  
  
The sun was about to go down soon. She lived on the top floor of a huge forty-floor condominium in the downtown area, which gave her a view which most people would envy. Especially during sunset and at night. The fluorescent and neon lights made Hong Kong seem more alive than during the day.  
  
Sitting back up again, Michiru pushed herself up off her bed and made her way back into the living room. She walked over to her stereo system and turned it on, along with her CD player. She opened one of the lower drawers of her entertainment center and looked through her CD collection. After poking through the collection, she finally selected one, inserted it into her CD player, and queued it up to track five. The opening notes to Pachebel's Canon began to fill the room. With a contented sigh, she turned to go back into her bedroom.  
  
From her bedroom, Michiru went into her bathroom, where she kept her bathrobe. A nice, long would do wonders for her right about now. Besides, there was this knot in her neck and shoulders that was still bothering her. It was a minor irritation, considering everything else, but now that she was home, that minor irritation was now anything but minor.  
  
Yes, a long soak would be wonderful.  
  
The bathroom was painted a beautiful sea-green, a few shades lighter than her own hair color. The floor tiles were a dark shade of blue, which complemented the sea-green very well. On one side of the bathroom, there was the sink and toilet, both the traditional porcelain white. On the other side, there was the bathtub, colored to match the floor tiles. She originally wanted the tub the same color as the rest of the bathroom so that it would almost look like she was soaking in the ocean waters whenever she bathed, but the bathtub's color slowly grew on her.  
  
Michiru slipped off her clothes and placed them in a neat pile to one side and slipped on her bathrobe. It was pure white cotton; not very fancy, but it was very comfortable. She turned on her tub and let the water warm up before plugging the drain. The water level was almost to the point she usually preferred when the phone began to ring.  
  
"Oh, not now," she grumbled as she turned off the water and headed into her bedroom. "This better not be about work. I swear, if this's who I think it is, I'm going to tear him a new one when I next see him." She picked up the phone and sat down on her bed. "Hello?"  
  
"Hello. Is this Michiru Kaiou?"  
  
Michiru almost sighed with relief. A female voice. Okay, so it wasn't Hu. Good. The last thing she needed was to hear about how she was overworking his string section. It wasn't her fault that some of them were new and not used to the caliber of music she played. They needed to practice some more. They were professionals. They should expect things like this. That's what they're paid to do, after all.  
  
"Yes, this is she," she replied. "May I ask who is calling?"  
  
"My name is Diane Silver, United States Federal Bureau of Investigation. I'm calling in regard of a certain item you are known to possess, your Indigo Nijizuishou crystal."  
  
Michiru blinked. "My...? What about it?" she asked as she started to get up from her bed. She strode over to the far end of the wall, where she had her wall safe installed and hidden behind one of her paintings. It was cliché, but for the most part, it worked well enough, considering that the safe itself was hidden behind a false section of wall that would slide out of the way when pressed and slid by hand. The false wall section was hard to detect and would pass a cursory inspection, but not a meticulous inspection. "No one's broken into my home and stolen anything," she continued as she moved aside the painting and slid the wall section aside. She turned the combo lock through its combination and opened the safe.  
  
Just as she thought. It was still there.  
  
"I know, Miss Kaiou," Diane answered. "I'm calling to warn you that someone will be after your crystal soon. Already, four Nijizuishou crystals have been stolen, and perhaps a fifth one by now."  
  
She frowned. "I've read that the Blue Nijizuishou was just stolen from the Huruato museum in Tokyo a few days ago."  
  
"Damn! Listen, my partner and I have been chasing the thief responsible for robbing that museum as well as several other places, in order to get to the Nijizuishou crystals. We're now in Sydney, in case he had already gotten to you first, but it seems that we've made it here too early.  
  
"Miss Kaiou, you will have to be careful," Diane continued. "The man we've been chasing is considered armed and dangerous. I can give you all the information we have on this man, so that you can alert the Hong Kong authorities, but please do not attempt to stop this man yourself."  
  
Michiru swallowed as she nodded. "I understand."  
  
"Good. Now, do you have something to write with?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"All right. The suspect is male, Caucasian, with short blonde hair and green eyes. He is approximately five foot, eleven and weighs around 190 pounds. No distinguishing marks." She paused for a few moments. "Did you get all that?"  
  
"Yes. Thank you."  
  
"Please do not hesitate to call the local authorities, Miss Kaiou," Diane warned. "This man may already be in the area."  
  
"Yes, thank you," Michiru replied and hung up after hearing Diane hang up on her end. She quickly closed her safe and slid everything back into place. With that done, she turned back toward the bathroom and her neglected bath. Perhaps the water was still warm enough for her to enjoy. She'd call the police after that. Her Nijizuishou crystal certainly wouldn't be going anywhere for the next hour, anyway.  
  
**********************************************  
  
Outside Michiru's condominium complex, Jed slowly let his car come to a stop and parked his car. This was the place. The sixth Nijizuishou crystal was here. The violinist was home, but she wouldn't pose too much of a threat. There was no time for complex plans or sneaking around. There were people on his trail and he needed to finish this job before they could catch up to him. He would be damned if he let a couple of amateurs catch a master like himself.  
  
The sun was setting now. It was a good a time as any. He might as well begin now.  
  
**********************************************  
  
To Chapter 37  
  
**********************************************  
  
Author's Note: It's the return of the blonde-haired agent extraordinaire, Mina! Well, I guess I felt she needed more than just that small part at the beginning, but it would make sense for her to check up on her client. At least, I think so. I forgot who gave me the suggestion, but thanks for the suggestion. Anyway, the movie part of the story is drawing closer to the finale! Oh, and if you're wondering if those two movies I mentioned are going to be part of Seeing Stars, sorry, but once this movie is over, Seeing Stars is over as well. Next chapter: The struggle for the Indigo Nijizuishou crystal; Christy and Shingo learn of Project: Ginzuishou; and Serena makes an unpleasant discovery.  
  
Disclaimer: All original materials belong to their respective owners. Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi and a bunch of big companies. No copyright infringement is intended. This story belongs to Moonsong and myself, and I would appreciate you emailing her or myself for permission before posting it anywhere else. Thank you.  
  
Prologue Copyright © January 24, 2000 Moonsong. Other Chapters Copyright © August 12, 2000 Jason Ulloa. All Rights Reserved. 


	38. Chapter 37

Seeing Stars By Jason Ulloa Original story by Moonsong Continued with her permission.  
  
Chapter 37  
  
Jed hated to resort to base measures, but he would do what he had to do in order to accomplish his mission. He had a ski mask in his back pocket and in a holster over his right shoulder, underneath his jacket, his handgun was fitted with a silencer. He had already put on a pair of contacts to change his eye color to brown. He had his thin black leather gloves on and was wearing the most non-descript jeans he owned. Everything he had on could be easily discarded, should he be pursued by the police.  
  
It was a tactic he had used a few times before and it worked most of the time.  
  
Upon entering the condominium complex, he saw that there was a decent amount of security. A few security monitors, a couple of unarmed security guards - he could also see that a few of them were roving, as well - in the security room, and cameras in the hallways and elevators.  
  
However, there was one security flaw that he instantly noticed: there were no cameras in the stairwells. Perfect.  
  
To keep from arousing suspicion, he went straight to the elevators and pressed the up button. He didn't want the guards, who were probably bored out of their minds, to have some reason to need to keep an eye on him.  
  
While he waited, he mentally kept track of how often the monitors switched from floor to floor. The monitors displayed the floor number at the top right corner of the screen, and switched floors every ten seconds. Since there were 40 floors and four monitors displaying four floors at a time, the cycle was 90 seconds before the cameras cycled back to the original four floors.  
  
So, he had to time it so that he snuck into the stairwells when the cameras weren't watching his floor. Easy.  
  
The ding of the elevator brough his attention back to focus. The cameras had just changed to show the 21st, 22nd, 23rd, and 24th floors. Since he was going to the second floor, he now had 40 seconds before the cameras would be watching him. That was not enough time. However, since the cameras would only be on him for ten seconds, he could easily pretend to be leisurely walking to his apartment, then head for the stairwell when the cameras were off of him again.  
  
He walked into the open elevator and pressed the button for the second floor. The elevator doors closed behind him and the elevator car began to ascend. A few seconds later, the elevator car slowed to a crawl, then stopped at the second floor. The doors opened and he had 23 seconds to go.  
  
The entrance to the elevators were at the far end of the hallway where it turned into a T-intersection leading to more apartments on either side. It wasn't too far; he could reach it in less than 23 seconds, but by the time the cameras turned to him, the door would be closing, indicating that someone had just entered the stairwell. Since the guards were so bored, they might miss that sign, but in order for him to reach the stairs before his time expired, he had to run. Even if they didn't see it, the cameras were recording and that would certainly arouse suspicion.  
  
So, he slowly strolled down toward the end of the hallway. The 23 seconds came and went, starting the ten second countdown. After that, he'd be free for another 90 seconds. Just as he was passing the stairwell, the ten second countdown ended and the cameras switched floors. He kept walking for ten more seconds just to make sure, then turned around, walked back to the stairwell and entered.  
  
Climbing 38 flights of stairs wasn't exactly on Jed's list of favorite things to do, so once he reached the top floor, he was in a pretty irritable mood. Couldn't that damn woman live on the third floor, or something? He waited until the cameras displayed his floor and moved on before slipping on his mask and opening the door.  
  
He knew from the quick scan of the tenant directory beside the front desk which apartment number was Michiru's. Without wasting any time, he strode quickly to her front door and brought out his electronic lockpicking device from one of his coat pockets and stuck it in the keyhole. Once the light turned green, he turned the device, unlocking the door and opening it.  
  
A quick glance of the apartment revealed to him that the violinist was no where to be seen. He stepped inside and quietly closed the door behind him while listening. He knew she was somewhere in this apartment. Unless she was asleep, she would eventually make a sound that would betray her location and possibly her activity.  
  
The only sounds he could hear was the music coming from the stereo system in the living room. Well, with the music playing, he had some leeway into how much stealth he needed to practice. Not much, though.  
  
With a swift, practiced movement, he silently drew his gun and crept forward, listening and watching. The kitchen and dining area to his left was empty, as was the living room ahead and to his right. Looking over the area, he spotted a phone in the kitchen hanging on the wall. He walked over to the phone while drawing a knife from the wooden holder sitting next to the sink. A knife with a serrated edge was best. Carefully, he cut through the phone line, but not all the way. Just enough to sever the connection. The phone now had the appearance of being untouched, but there was no longer any connection.  
  
Knife in one hand and gun in the other, he moved further into the apartment, all the while listening for any sounds that would reveal Michiru.  
  
There. Water splashing. She was in the bathroom.  
  
He grinned.  
  
From his vantage point, he could see that the entrance to the bathroom was in her bedroom. He would also assume that that was also where the Nijizuishou was kept. It certainly didn't look like she kept it in the living room or the kitchen, but he had been wrong before. Still, sometimes the most obvious answers are the correct ones. Hopefully, that was the case here.  
  
The bedroom was not really like he would've expected from a famous musician. More like a rich debutante. Curtains and drapes were a light blue silk matching the color of the bedroom. The vanity at one end of the room had a wide variety of exotic and expensive purfumes and makeup all sitting on a white, frilly lace cloth. Several paintings, large and small hung around the room; some replicas of famous pieces of art, and some by Michiru herself. It seemed that she was a talented artist, as well. If he wasn't in the middle of work, he would've loved to admire the artwork.  
  
Oh, well. Life's like that sometimes.  
  
One picture in particular caught his eye. Not the artwork itself, but the location of the painting. Most of the artwork hung in places that would be all but impossible to hide a wall safe - one wall lead to outside, another to the living room, and the third had the bathroom on the other end - but only two hung on the wall that could conceivably hold a wall safe. Sure, he could always check her closet, but that was just too inane. Who in their right minds would hide a gem worth millions in their closet, anyway? That would make things too easy and he doubted the woman was stupid enough to pull a dumb stunt like that. If she did, he would have to shoot her just on general purpose. After all, something like that was tantamount to an insult to a master thief like himself.  
  
Anyway, since one painting sat above her nightstand, that left the large painting as the best possible location for a wall safe. The fact that the painting was done by Michiru made all the more sense.  
  
Before moving to task, he quickly bent down beside the phone on her nightstand and cut through most of the phone cord, just like he did in the kitchen. Now she was cut off from outside telephone communication. That would do for now. He didn't have time to hunt down all forms of outside communication, anyway.  
  
That task done, he tossed the knife under the bed. He then took down the painting and examined the wall behind it.  
  
There was nothing there.  
  
Well, he had been wrong before. He was just about to go to the next painting when something caught his eye. Giving the wall a closer scrutiny, he saw it. The crack in the wall that formed a rectangular shape. He pushed on the wall in the middle of the rectangular crack and found that it could move to one side.  
  
Ah. A false wall panel. Clever.  
  
The safe was the usual combination lock. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a device from his other jacket pocket and stuck it onto the safe over the area where the tumblers would be, then turned it on. He spun the dial around quickly, then slowed down as he watched the device's indicator. Once the dial reached 57, the red light turned on. The first number was cracked. He spun the dial again and repeated the process. This time, the red light lit up on the number 23. Once again, the process was repeated, but this time the green light lit up.  
  
57-23-86. The safe was open.  
  
He removed the safecracking device, turned it off and stuck it in his jacket pocket, then opened the safe door. There it was. The Indigo Nijizuishou crystal. There was only one more to go; the Violet Nijizuishou crystal in Sydney.  
  
A loud splashing caused him to freeze for a moment. It sounded like she was done with her bath and was getting out of the tub. He had to hurry.  
  
He reached into the safe and grabbed the crystal, then closed the safe and shut the wall panel. He pocketed the Indigo Nijizuishou and was about to hang the painting back up when the sound of a phone ringing startled him. He thought he had cut the phone lines!  
  
No, wait. That was a cellular phone ringing!  
  
"Oh, what is it now?" Michiru's voice grumbled as she opened the bathroom door, clad in her white bathroom robe, her long sea-green hair dripping wet. "Ah! What the hell are you doing?!?" she exclaimed as she saw Jed holding one of her paintings. More specifically, THAT particular painting. Combined with the gun and silencer she saw sitting on her bed next to him.... "You!"  
  
Jed sighed as he dropped the painting and picked up his gun. So much for quick and quiet. "Where's the cell phone?" he asked, pointing the gun at her.  
  
"I-in the drawer in my nightstand," she stammered staring nervously at the gun.  
  
"Take it out, turn it off, and give it to me," he said coldly. "Now." He pointed to the drawer with his gun, then back at her for added emphasis.  
  
Michiru was careful not to smile in relief. She had a small handgun hidden in their for such emergencies as this. After all, a woman living so well off and by herself did need a little bit of added protection. The building security was all right, but as this situation proved, not perfect.  
  
She slowly trudged toward the nightstand, being careful to show the right amount of fear - that wasn't a problem; she was quite terrified right now - and slowly opened the drawer. The phone had stopped ringing a while ago and was displaying the ID and phone number of the person who had called her.  
  
It was Hu.  
  
"Damn bastard," she grumbled angrily under her breath. "Of all the times he has to call my cell...."  
  
Jed couldn't help but give a small snort of laughter. In a small way, it was that 'damn bastard's' fault she was in this situation. How apropos. "Hurry up and give me your cell, and maybe you'll have a chance to chew him out later."  
  
She blinked as she was brought back to the situation at hand. Her assailant had the right idea, though. She would chew that rat bastard out later. Especially for putting her in this mess. She nodded as she reached into the drawer and pressed the button to shut off her cell phone. The phone gave off its audial signal that it was powering off as she carefully reached for her gun. The safety was off and it was already loaded. Not really safe, but in a situation like this, she was glad she didn't follow that practice.  
  
She stood up with her hand in the drawer and turned toward her assailant. "Here you go," she said as she quickly drew her gun and fired. Just as she fired her gun, she felt something hit her in the side, just below her right breast. The impact knocked her off her feet, her hand knocking over her nightstand lamp and she tumbled to the floor. The gun fell out of her hand and slid a short distance from her hand.  
  
Jed shook his head as he fired again, his shot knocking the gun all the way across the room. He then walked over to where he was standing over Michiru as a small puddle of blood began to form on the light gray carpet beneath her. "That wasn't very smart," he told her as he took the phone from her nightstand and pocketed it. "However, you're getting off lucky," he said as he turned to leave. "I don't have time to finish you off. You get to live today. Stay silent and you'll live even longer."With that, he quickly left the apartment and closed the door behind him.  
  
Michiru struggled to stand up, the pain in her side making it hard for her to push herself to her feet, but once she was on her feet she could walk fine. She was losing blood quickly, though.  
  
She picked up her bedroom phone, but there was no dial tone. Wasting no time to wonder why, she staggered over to her kitchen phone and picked that one up. No dial tone. With a growl of frustration, she slammed her kitchen phone back on its base. She continued to struggle toward her apartment door, leaving a trail of blood behind her. She managed to reach her neighbor's apartment door and knocked loudly on it. "Xian! Xian Li! It's me, Michiru! Open up!" She was in mid-knock when a young, dark-haired woman answered the door.  
  
"Michiru! I heard this loud- Aiyaa! You're bleeding! What happened?" Xian Li exclaimed as she helped the bleeding woman into her apartment. "Come in while I call an ambulance."  
  
"And call the police after that," Michiru said weakly. "I've just been robbed."  
  
**********************************************  
  
One of the roving security guards came across something very curious during his patrol of one of the stairwells. On the exit to the 40th floor, someone had left a jacket and a pair of pants next to the door. The only things of interest he could find in the jacket or pants were a cell phone, a pair of thin black leather gloves, and a ski mask.  
  
As he gathered up the clothing and turned to leave, he heard a crunching sound as he took his first step. Moving his foot, he examined to ground to see what he had stepped on.  
  
It was a pair of contacts.  
  
**********************************************  
  
Jed smirked as he walked out of the entrance to the condominium. When he had reached the ground floor while riding the elevator, a group of security guards were standing in front of his elevator. He had briefly thought that he was about to be caught when they pushed past him into  
  
the elevator. He had stared at the closing elevator for a few moments, surprised beyond belief. Not wanting to waste the opportunity, he quickly made his way out of the building. They were probably after that blonde guy in a black jacket and blue jeans. Since he was a black-haired man - good thing he brought that wig with him - wearing a light brown jacket and black slacks, the suspect couldn't be him, right? Not to mention that he wasn't brown- eyed, but green-eyed.  
  
Once he was out of sight of the condominium, and the sounds of an approaching ambulance filled the air, he began to laugh out loud. Once again, his quick switch tactic worked perfectly.  
  
He was in his car and on his way to the airport before the police could reach the condominium complex.  
  
**********************************************  
  
"So, how's the struggle?" Christy asked as Shingo answered the front door. "Any progress?"  
  
Shingo smirked. "It was tough, but I think I've almost got it. I'm running the file through my special file recompiler program - that I wrote myself, I might add - and it's about 80% complete right now. I figure that in about ten minutes or so, it should be all done."  
  
"You're kidding," she said, raising an appreciative eyebrow. "I'm impressed, Shingo."  
  
"As you should be, grasshopper," he replied smugly as they went inside. "Remember, you are dealing with a master."  
  
"Yeah, yeah. Bow to your almighty magnificence and all that," she replied as gave him a mock bow. "So, I'm right on time, huh?"  
  
"Just about," he said with a grin. "Hey, I just got some stuff from back home, including some of your favorite."  
  
"Really?" she said, her expression brightening. "Well, break out a bottle, Shingo! It's been too long since I've had some of your good Japanese sake."  
  
"Sounds good to me," he nodded. "Grab a seat and I'll bring it out."  
  
"So, you think this recompiler of yours will restore that file?" Christy called out as she sat down on the couch.  
  
"It better," he said as he returned with a bottle and two shot glasses. She nodded to herself as she saw that he remembered that she preferred the shot glass over the saucer-thing that the Japanese traditionally served sake with. She kept on spilling her sake on herself everytime she tried to drink it that way.  
  
"Ah, yes. That's the stuff," she said happily as she watched the clear liquid being poured into her glass. "Hey, what's that word you Japanese say for 'Cheers'?" she asked as she took her glass.  
  
"Kanpai," he replied as he poured his glass.  
  
"Oh, right. Well, kanpai!" she said as she raised her glass.  
  
"Kanpai," he replied and raised his as well. Both downed their drinks in one swallow.  
  
"Ahh! Yeah!" she exclaimed and set down her glass. "Refill, please!"  
  
"One more, then we go check on that program, all right?"  
  
"Fine, fine."  
  
Shingo poured her another shot, which she gratefully accepted and downed with another shout of "Kanpai!" He did the same a moment later.  
  
"All right, then," he said as he stood up, taking the bottle with him. "You know, I can show you where you can get your own, so you can stop mooching off of my stash," he said thoughtfully.  
  
"Really?" she blinked as she stood up to follow him. "That would be great."  
  
He nodded as he went into his computer room with Christy right behind him. "Ah, it's done," he announced eagerly. "Now, let's open up that bad boy and see what we've got." He ran another quick virus scan, removed the viral coding, then opened the file.  
  
"What's this?" Christy asked as she glanced over his shoulder. "Project: Ginzuishou?"  
  
"Silver crystal?" Shingo said, translating the second word. "Sounds interesting. Shall we read on?"  
  
She silently nodded her head as she read through the document. "My God...."  
  
"According to this, there are seven very rare, colored gems know as the Nijizuishou, or Rainbow Crystals. Each crystal has a very similar geological makeup, yet there is a subtle difference in a certain area in their composition that not only gives them their unique spectral colors, but causes any light that passes through it to amplify on their specific spectral wavelength. In other words, if regular light were to pass through, say, the Red Nijizuishou, the light would be amplified, but it would exit the crystal as red light, not white. The same with the other crystals. It seems that the gain is an average of 3 to 1.  
  
"Experiments on the Yellow Nijizuishou with lasers showed that the same properties applied as with white light. A 100W laser was fired into the Yellow Nijizuishou crystal for 30 seconds. Data collected shows that the laser emitted from the crystal was yellow in color and had an average power of 298.4W. Similiar tests on newly acquired Nijizuishou crystals yielded similar results. Reference: Table 4.c.  
  
"Further research into the composition of the Nijizuishou crystals showed that the subtle differences in the seven crystals' geological makeup had another relation other than the spectral relation. Simulated rearraging of the seven unique aspects of the seven Nijizuishou crystals revealed that when rearraged in the following manner (see Figure 4.e), there is a theoretical dramatic increase in the power amplification properties of the crystal. The theorized gain of the combined seven crystals is approximately 1,250 to 1. Furthermore, due to the unique geological makeup of the Nijizuishou crystals, it is possible for the crystal to be able to handle the immense power amplification of the theoretical combined seven with no adverse effects."  
  
"Do you realize what this means, Shingo?" Christy asked when he paused. "With that much of a power boost, a laser with the same amount of power as your average stereo could be easily juiced up to hit someone with the power of a lightning bolt! If something like this could be mass produced, laser rifles with the power of orbital lasers would be as commonplace as handguns! But, these will be worse!"  
  
"I know," he agreed, nodding uneasily. "This is really bad news. I mean, is this even legal? The government can't have sanctioned something like this, can they?"  
  
"I don't know, Shingo. I'd like to think that they'd use it for something beneficial, but considering that most of the Nijizuishou crystals have been stolen recently, I highly doubt it. I wonder if the people doing the research even know if the crystals were stolen. What else does it say, Shingo?"  
  
"According to this, the optimal conditions for synthesizing a crystal with the geological properties of all seven crystals occur within a vacuum. This includes extracting the core geological properties of the crystal as well as the unique properties of each crystal.  
  
"In order to extract this information, seven automated satellites have been manufactured to hold a single Nijizuishou and extract the exact geological makeup of each Nijizuishou crystal with a negligible amount of interference. Each satellite has already been programmed by an independant expert in satellite technology, Prof. Souichi Tomoe. Upon activation, each satellite will take in sunlight unfiltered by the ozone layer and shine it through each Nijizuishou crystal, then beam the resulting light to their collection center, where they will merge all seven into a single, synthetic crystal. The crystal will be known as the Ginzuishou crystal.  
  
"Research is already in progress for possible applications of the Ginzuishou crystal. Reference: Project: Total Eclipse."  
  
"Total Eclipse?" Christy repeated quietly. "I know I don't like the sound of that. Is there anything else?"  
  
"That's about it," he confirmed. "Everything else is just supplemental info, charts, and figures." He saved the restored file onto the Zip disk and ejected it. "Here," he said, handing it back to her.  
  
"What's the charge, Shingo?"  
  
"I only want one thing. Where did you get this info? Tell me, and we're even."  
  
"I don't know," she said, shaking her head. "I got this from Jack and a client of his. However, I can ask them for you. If they tell me, I'll let you know."  
  
"That'll have to do, I guess," he sighed. "Hey."  
  
Christy stopped as she turned to leave. "Yeah?"  
  
"I don't know what that ex-cop friend of yours or his client has gotten into, but they have my sympathies. And if they'd like me to find out any more info from that place they got this from," he said, tapping his monitor, "then I'll be more than happy to oblige."  
  
"Got it," she nodded and turned to leave. Before she left the room, she stopped and pointed at the bottle sitting by his monitor. "One for the road?"  
  
"I thought you cops discouraged drinking and driving?" Shingo asked.  
  
"We discourage driving while over a certain blood-alcohol level," she corrected. "I'm nowhere near that level, so one more wouldn't hurt."  
  
"Che!" he snorted irritably. "I swear, next time, you're not getting a drop. None at all!"  
  
"Just tell me where I can get my own and I'll be all right," she replied and grabbed the bottle.  
  
"Hey!" he exclaimed as he chased her out of the room. "I didn't say you could have the whole thing!"  
  
**********************************************  
  
"Cut!" Amy shouted. "All right, everyone! Break for lunch!"  
  
"Hmm.... So far, not bad at all," Mina observed, nodding to herself. "He's certainly improved a lot since I first met him. I think I'll need a little more observation, though. Just to make sure."  
  
"Of course," she agreed, nodding. "Take as much time as you need."  
  
"Thank you, I will. Now...," she said with a huge grin as she turned toward where her client was exiting the studio with Serena. "Darien! Sweetheart! We have just got to do lunch! You've just got to tell me how things have been on the set!"  
  
"But... Serena and I...," he began as Mina began to shove him out of the studio and toward the studio parking lot.  
  
"Oh, sure! I'd be more than honored if she'd come to! I've rarely had an opportunity to do lunch with such a prestigious actor! Come on! Come on! Time's a wastin'! We've only got an hour, you know!"  
  
Amy blinked several times before shaking her head in exasperation. How Darien could deal with an agent like Mina was beyond her. But she knew what she was doing; she gave her that much. She couldn't help but wonder how long Serena would be able to put up with Mina, though. Normally, she wouldn't have given the agent ten minutes, but ever since she and Darien became an item, she had mellowed down considerably.  
  
Well, if Mina came back alive, then she'd have her answer.  
  
"Ready to go?" Lita asked as she walked up to her.  
  
"Yes. So, what's on the menu today?" she asked.  
  
"We're making Italian today," Lita replied. "Any requests?"  
  
"Whatever you two decide is fine."  
  
"Oh, come on," Lita rolled her eyes.  
  
"Oh, fine," Amy laughed. "How about Chicken Parmesan over Linguini Alfredo? I think you've made that once before."  
  
"Sounds good to me," Lita agreed.  
  
**********************************************  
  
"So, where do you want to go?" Darien asked Serena.  
  
"I don't know," Serena replied, slightly annoyed at having someone tag along when she wanted some alone time with her boyfriend.  
  
"Can I suggest some place?" Mina asked.  
  
"Sure," Serena agreed, not really caring at this point.  
  
"How about this new café that just opened up a few weeks ago?" she suggested. "I've been there once before. The food's pretty good and it's got a nice, quiet atmosphere to it. I think you'll like it."  
  
"Sounds good," Darien agreed. "Serena?"  
  
"Why not?" she shrugged. "Lead the way, then."  
  
"Serena! I didn't expect to see you here!"  
  
Darien blinked as he saw Serena stiffen with a look of rage plastered on his face. "No. Not now. Not here...," she growled under her breath as she turned around. "You! What in the HELL are YOU doing here, Seiya?!?"  
  
**********************************************  
  
To Chapter 38  
  
**********************************************  
  
Author's Note: It's Round Two of Serena vs. Seiya! ^_~ Darien gets to met Serena's ex for the first time. Can you guess what happens next? Well, you'll have to wait until next chapter to find out. Mwahahahahaha! On another note, we finally find out why the seven Nijizuishou crystals are being targeted. But, what is Project: Total Eclipse? Figure out one secret only to find yet more secrets behind it. Damn, I like writing this story. ^_^ Next chapter: Darien confronts Seiya; lunch with Serena, Darien, and Mina; and Christy tells Jack about Project: Ginzuishou.  
  
Disclaimer: All original materials belong to their respective owners. Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi and a bunch of big companies. No copyright infringement is intended. This story belongs to Moonsong and myself, and I would appreciate you emailing her or myself for permission before posting it anywhere else. Thank you.  
  
Prologue Copyright © January 24, 2000 Moonsong. Other Chapters Copyright © August 12, 2000 Jason Ulloa. All Rights Reserved. 


	39. Chapter 38

Seeing Stars By Jason Ulloa Original story by Moonsong Continued with her permission.  
  
Chapter 38  
  
"You, of all people, are the last - the VERY last - person I want to see right now," Serena growled as she glared at him for a moment, then turned her back on him.  
  
"Well, hello to you, too, Serena," Seiya replied undauntedly. "It's so nice to see your cheerful face once again."  
  
"Is he being serious or sarcastic?" Darien asked Mina.  
  
"Beats me," the blonde agent replied. "Say, shouldn't you be playing the noble hero right about now?"  
  
He glanced between Serena and Seiya, then shook his head slightly. "She's more than capable of taking care of herself. However, the second it looks like it's getting out of hand...." He let his voice trail off menacingly. Mina gave him a look, then nodded thoughtfully.  
  
"What are you doing here, anyway?" Serena said over her shoulder. "I thought you were supposed to be this hotshot foreign film actor now, Mr. I'm-too-good-for-lowbrow- American-movies. What, did the French finally get a clue? I don't even know how the hell you even managed over there. I blame Jerry Lewis."  
  
The sound of snickering coming from Darien and Mina caught Seiya's attention. "You know, I don't think we've been properly introduced yet," he said, smiling coldly at the pair.  
  
"Kou Seiya, right?" Darien said in an amiable tone without smiling.  
  
"You've heard of me, I take it?"  
  
"You could say that," Darien replied dryly.  
  
Seiya glanced momentarily at Serena before returning his gaze. "I see. And you are...?"  
  
"Darien Shields," he replied, slowly losing his patience with the man's almost smug attitude.  
  
"Mina Blake," Mina added, though not as curtly as Darien.  
  
"You haven't answered my question, Seiya," Serena snapped irritably. "What in the Nine Gates of Hell are you doing here? Don't tell me that you're actually working on an American movie," she added, loading as much sarcasm as she could layer into it.  
  
"I am."  
  
"Bull."  
  
"No, really. I was offered this part in a movie adaptaion of Shakespear's 'MacBeth'. It seemed interesting enough, so I accepted."  
  
"Whatever," she said, folding her arms. "So, what about your whore? I thought you two were happily screwing each other's brains out. Did you toss her aside when you were finished with her, too?"  
  
"I didn't 'toss her aside,' as you so bluntly put it," Seiya replied, some slight irritation beginning to show in his voice. "There were certain issues between us that we were unable to resolve, so-"  
  
"You had a big fight and she walked out on you," Serena finished, giving him a malicious grin. "Am I right?"  
  
"I wouldn't put it quite so harshly...."  
  
"Heh. Karma can really bite you on the ass, can't it?" she jibed vindictively. "Still, what you may have gone through is nothing compared to what you put me through, Seiya. Nothing." She turned back to where Darien and Mina were waiting for her.  
  
"Serena, wait."  
  
She stopped and wearily hung her head without turning around. "What is it, Seiya?" she sighed tiredly. "Don't tell me you want another chance. We already went through that. I made myself perfectly clear and I don't feel like repeating myself. Goodbye, Seiya." With that, she started toward the others again.  
  
"Serena!"  
  
By now, Darien was getting quite fed up. "Didn't you hear her?" he asked loudly, diverting Seiya's attention toward him.  
  
Seiya frowned slightly. "What?"  
  
"I think it's clear that Serena doesn't want to speak with you any further," he told him coldly. "It would be best if you just leave her alone."  
  
The frown deepened. "Do you think so?" he asked, turning to face Darien. "And who are you, to butt into our business like that?"  
  
"As far as I'm concerned, you have no business with her," he answered coolly. "And as for who I am, that is also none of your concern. All you should be concerned with is leaving."  
  
Seiya was about to reply to that when he noticed something. Serena had walked over to stand next to Darien. That in itself was no suprise, but the way Serena was standing next to him, and the way she looked at him, spoke much about the relationship between the two. He recognized it easily; he had seen her act the same way around him before their relationship had ended.  
  
Getting Serena back was going to be more difficult than he had originally thought.  
  
"Well, I really should be getting back to work, anyway," he said as he gave Darien a dismissive look, then turned his gaze back to Serena. "In case you're curious, I'm working in studio 33. I'll see you around, Serena. Miss Blake," he added, nodding amicably to the agent. He then, turned and left, ignoring Darien as if he was of no consequence. Darien, on the other hand, was glaring hard enough to bore a hole in Seiya's head the size of his fist. Which is, coincidentally, what he wanted to use to bore said hole with.  
  
"Wouldn't you know it," Serena grumbled.  
  
"What?" Mina asked.  
  
"He said he's working in studio 33," she explained. "That's right across from studio 46, where we're working."  
  
"I'm sorry to hear that," she honestly replied while shrugging.  
  
"At any rate, I'm definitely in no mood to stick around here. All right, Mina, let's go to this café of yours. Darien, your car's bigger than mine. We'll take that one, unless you'd rather drive and have us follow you," she suggested to Mina.  
  
"No, I don't mind carpooling," Mina replied, her cheerful demeanor returning. "Come on, let's go! We're wasting valuable time!" She grabbed Darien's arm and proceeded to drag him toward his car with Serena not too far behind.  
  
  
  
Halfway though the drive to the café, there wasn't much talking besides Mina giving Darien directions from the backseat. Serena was staring out of the passenger side window, looking at nothing in particular.  
  
"Turn left at the next light," Mina pointed out. Darien nodded and turned into the far-left lane.  
  
"I'm sorry for butting in back there," Darien said, trying to break the uncomfortable silence. "With Seiya, I mean."  
  
Serena turned from the window to regard him. "What are you talking about?"  
  
He blinked for a moment. "You're not upset that I didn't let you handle him yourself?"  
  
"Of course not," she replied, shaking her head and smiling. "I'm glad you thought that I was capable of it, but I really didn't want to deal with him right then. I'm just surprised you didn't jump in sooner."  
  
"You were doing just a good job of verbally ripping into him that I figured that I wasn't needed yet," he said, smiling in relief.  
  
"Turn right at the next light," Mina interrupted. "It'll be on your right hand side. It's called 'Café Sevilla.' It's supposed to be a Spanish café. I suggest you try the paella. It's good."  
  
Darien nodded and turned into the far-right lane.  
  
  
  
"Welcome to Café Sevilla!" the woman standing at the entrance greeted and glanced over the group. "Table for three, is it?"  
  
"Yes," Mina nodded. "One by a window, please, if it's possible."  
  
"Certainly," the woman acknowledged and went over to the podium standing to one side. After glancing down at the current seating arrangement, she annotated which table she would be taking her guests to and drew three menus from the pocket on the side of the podium. When that was done, she signalled to a passing waiter.  
  
"Take these three to table 28, please," she told him as she handed the menus over to him.  
  
The waiter nodded and turned toward the group. "Come with me, please," he requested and headed into the café.  
  
"This place isn't as crowded as I thought it would be," Serena remarked, adjusting the sunglasses and scarf she wore to make herself less recognizable.  
  
"Well, this place is still pretty much new," Mina pointed out. "Just barely over one month old, at that. I figure that will change once word of this place really starts spreading."  
  
"Still, I'd expect more people than this during the lunch rush," she said as they reached their table.  
  
"Here we are," the waiter said as he started placing the menus on the table. "Can I get you something to drink?"  
  
"Piña colada, please," Mina said, taking a seat at one side of the table.  
  
"Same here," Serena added, taking a seat on the other side.  
  
"Iced tea," Darien requested, sitting beside Serena.  
  
The waiter nodded. "I'll have your drinks ready shortly." He returned a few minutes later as everyone was deciding on their meals. "Here you are. And have you decided, or do you need some more time?"  
  
"I'll have the paella," Mina said, putting down the menu. "I really enjoyed it the last time I was here."  
  
"I'll have the same," Darien added, placing his menu over Mina's.  
  
"I'll have the Seafood Caesar Salad with the gazpacho," Serena said, placing her menu with the others.  
  
"Excellent choices," the waiter said as he collected the menus. "And would you like any appetizers to start off with?"  
  
"No, thank you," Mina declined.  
  
"Very well. Your meal will be ready shortly." With that, the waiter departed.  
  
"Amy tells me that you've been doing great work," Mina said after the waiter left. "That makes me so proud of you!"  
  
"Mina...," Darien muttered as he struggled not to hang his head in embarrasment.  
  
"What? Can't I be excited that you're gonna be contracted to play two more movies?" she asked, tilting her head and grinning mischievously.  
  
"About that," Serena interrupted. "Do you know anything about the movies that he's going to be playing in?"  
  
Mina glanced from Serena to Darien, then back to Serena again. "Wondering if there's a chance you could be able to work with him again?" she asked slyly. Her grin widened at the surprised looks on their faces. "Why so surprised? I may be a blonde, but I'm not stupid. You, of all people, should've realized that, Serena."  
  
"Point taken."  
  
"So, do you know anything about those two movies?" Darien asked.  
  
She shook her head. "Not that much, to be honest. Everything's still in the planning stages. After all, this's only being planned because Amy's so sure that this movie'll be a big success."  
  
"Planing for sequels, is she?" Serena asked.  
  
"Maybe. Maybe not." Mina shrugged. "Like I said, there's not a lot of details right now. Everything I know, I've just told you. I'll know more as the negotiations and planning progress. I'll be sure to keep you both posted." She smiled. "After all, with the way you two are right now, telling one would be just as good as telling both." She glanced over at Darien. "Say, Darien, did you see those dinner mints over by the register as we came in? Could you be a sweetheart and get some for us?"  
  
Darien blinked. "But, aren't those for after meals? They're called 'after- dinner' mints for a reason, you know."  
  
She gave him a pleading look, complete with puppy-dog eyes. "Please?"  
  
"Oh, all right," he sighed and got up.  
  
Serena waited until he was out of hearing range before she spoke. "So, what was it you wanted to say to me without him hearing it?"  
  
Mina nodded, her expression turning serious. "I heard about your big break- up with Seiya way back then. Seeing how you acted with Seiya back at the lot made me realize just how much that hurt you. I know you probably already know this, but Darien is a really great guy. I've known him for years as his agent and as a friend. He won't treat you like that. Ever. I'm sure of it."  
  
"Was that all?" she asked.  
  
"Not really," she sighed as she glanced back to see if Darien was coming back yet. "What I really wanted to tell you is this. Like I said before, Darien's my friend. Probably one of my best friends. That's why I don't want to see him get hurt."  
  
Serena's eyes narrowed. "Are you saying...?"  
  
"Don't misunderstand me," Mina interrputed, holding up a placating hand. "I'm sure you're not that kind of woman. The thing is, he's been hurt by that kind of woman before."  
  
"Raye?"  
  
"Among others. Raye wasn't the worst - mild in comparision, actually - but she still left him went things weren't looking as bright as she thought it should be. She was always wanting more than he could give, which was why she left him when someone she thought that guy could do more for her than Darien could came along."  
  
"She says she just wants to be friends now," Serena told her. "I honestly don't know whether to believe her or not. My relationship with Seiya was ruined because the other woman managed to convince him that I would leave him for bigger and better things. The worst part of it was that she was supposedly just his friend, or so he had told me."  
  
Mina nodded solemnly. "So, you're in the same boat, then. In that case, I can rest easy knowing that you'll do good by him. And vice versa, of course."  
  
"You didn't say how many mints you wanted, so I brought a handful," Darien said dropping them in the middle of the table.  
  
"Thanks, Darien!" Mina said happily as she popped one into her mouth as he returned to his seat.  
  
"So, talk about anything interesting while I was gone?" he asked.  
  
"Nothing really," Serena said, resting her hand on his lap and smiling at him. "Just girl talk."  
  
"Oh," he said as the waiter arrived with their food.  
  
  
  
"That was great!" Mina said as she, Serena and Darien left the café. "The food was just as good as the last time I was here!"  
  
"I think that waiter of ours was psychic or something," Serena remarked. "I swear, everytime one of us needed something, there he was, popping up from out of nowhere with whatever we needed before we could even ask for it. It was almost creepy."  
  
"I think that's the mark of an experienced waiter," Darien told her. "I bet after a while, waiters tend to sense when their customers need them."  
  
"A very helpful sense, if you ask me," Mina commented. "I wish every restaurant I went to had waiters like him."  
  
"Which was why you left him that ten dollar tip," he replied as they reached his car.  
  
"Can I help it if I felt generous?" she asked, shrugging.  
  
"Well, I guess he earned it," Serena said as everyone got in the car and Darien drove back to the lot.  
  
  
  
"Back with minutes to spare," Mina said as Darien parked his car and she got out.  
  
"Hopefully I won't have to deal with Seiya on the way back in," Serena said as she got out as well.  
  
"Well, I'm going on ahead. I'm got negotiations to discuss with Amy. We should do this again real soon!" With that, Mina turned and ran off, waving back at Serena and Darien as she left.  
  
"So, what did you think of her?" Darien asked.  
  
"She acts too bubbly sometimes, but other than that, I like her," she decided.  
  
Darien nodded. "You'll get used to that personality of hers. It took me a while, but I hardly notice it now."  
  
"Darien, can I ask you something?" she asked quietly as she stared down at the ground.  
  
"What's wrong?" he asked, concerned.  
  
"Nothing, really.... I was just wondering what you never told Seiya that we were dating. Why you didn't say that I was your girlfriend?"  
  
"Was that why you were so quiet on the way to the café?" he asked. "Well, to be honest, I thought that you were going to do it. After all, you did say that you were going to tell him that you had a 'loving boyfriend who worships the ground you walk on', or something to that effect."  
  
Serena stood still, blinking a couple of times. Finally, she smaked herself in the head. "I DID say that, didn't I?" She shook her head ruefully. "I swear, around that man, I get so angry I can never think straight."  
  
"Well, if it's any consolation, I think he already knows," he pointed out.  
  
Serena smiled at him. "You're right." She nodded her head toward the studio and offered her arm. "Well, shall we?"  
  
Darien took her arm in his. "Certainly."  
  
"And by the way," she added in a low, sultry voice as they headed for the studio building, "the way you stood up to Seiya and told him that he had no business with me and that who you were was none of his concern and that he should leave.... That really turned me on." She gave him a very steamy look for added emphasis.  
  
"Well... uh, thanks," he stammered, feeling the full force of her seductive stare. He rallied quickly and grinned back at her. "Perhaps later tonight, you could allow me to properly express my gratitude?"  
  
Serena laughed low and earthily as she wrapped her arms around him. "It's a date," she whispered in his ear before she drew back, but not before Darien managed to steal a quick kiss. "Now, let's go back inside before they send someone out looking for us."  
  
  
  
"Excuse me, Miss Jenner, there's a phone call for you."  
  
Tira sat up in her bed and smiled eagerly. "Who's it from? Jack? Diane?"  
  
The orderly shook his head. "A woman named Christy Taylor."  
  
"Christy?" she said as she reached over to pick up the phone by her bed.  
  
"Press #71 to have the line transferred to your phone," the orderly instructed.  
  
Tira nodded and quickly complied. "Hello? Christy?"  
  
"Tira! It's so good to hear your voice again. How's your recovery coming along?"  
  
"The doctors say that I can get out of the hospital in a couple more days. The day after tommorow at the earliest. So, what've you been up to?"  
  
"Listen, Tira," Christy said, her becoming urgent. "I've got some important info for Jack and Diane. It has to do with that file that they had given to me to have recovered. Jack had told me that they would be out of the country and that if I found something, I should pass it to you first since you were the one that originally found the file."  
  
Tira's eyes widens slightly. "You mean, about Project: Ginzuishou?"  
  
There was a small pause. "You already know about it?"  
  
"I do."  
  
Another pause. "How much do you know?"  
  
"I know that each crystal will increase a laser's power by 3 and combining them would give them a major power boost. I also know that there's a project called Total Eclipse that is supposed to use this power boost for something."  
  
"Have you told Jack yet?"  
  
"I haven't been able to reach him yet," Tira explained. "Jack's in Australia and they won't let me call out of country long distance."  
  
"Do you have a number I can reach him at? I need to let him know what we found."  
  
"Hold on. Let me get you the number." Tira reached over and picked up a piece of paper, then read the number off. "When you call him, please let him know that I'm doing all right and I'm going to try and find some more info on Project: Total Eclipse."  
  
"Tira, where did you get this info from? I have a contact who is willing to help out in exchange for the URL of the place you hacked."  
  
"Stanton Aeronautical," Tira replied. "That's where I got it from. There's a long story behind it, but I think I'll wait until I'm out of here before going into it."  
  
There was another length of silence. "Tira...."  
  
"If it's about my hacking into Stanton Aeronautical, please don't," Tira said with a patient sigh. "I hear enough from Jack."  
  
"I know. But you and I both know that if anyone else were to catch you, then I can't do anything about it."  
  
"I never get caught."  
  
"You shouldn't jinx yourself by saying that," Christy cautioned. "Anyway, thanks for the number. I'll be sure to give him your message. Maybe I'll stop by for a visit later, too."  
  
Tira brightened immediately. "You will? Great. I'm so bored here; it's driving me nuts!"  
  
Christy laughed. "I'm sorry to hear that. Well then, I'll make it a point to stop by."  
  
"Thanks. I'll see you then."  
  
"Yeah. Bye, Tira."  
  
"Later, Christy," Tira said, hung up the phone and turned on the TV. Hopefully there would be something on other than reruns this time.  
  
  
  
To Chapter 39  
  
  
  
Author's Note: And after yet ANOTHER forever, I finally release the newest chapter of Seeing Stars. And the readers rejoice. Yay. Anyway, things are about to come to a crucial point in the movie plot. What is Project: Total Eclipse? Find out soon as the fight for the last Nijizuishou crystal is about to commence very soon. Next chapter: Christy tells Jack about Project: Ginzuishou; late night discussions; and Jed arrives in Sydney.  
  
Disclaimer: All original materials belong to their respective owners. Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi and a bunch of big companies. No copyright infringement is intended. This story belongs to Moonsong and myself, and I would appreciate you emailing her or myself for permission before posting it anywhere else. Thank you.  
  
Prologue Copyright © January 24, 2000 Moonsong. Other Chapters Copyright © August 12, 2000 Jason Ulloa. All Rights Reserved. 


	40. Chapter 39

Seeing Stars  
By Jason Ulloa  
Original story by Moonsong  
Continued with her permission.  
  
Chapter 39  
  
"How did it go?" Jack asked as Diane walked into their hotel room carrying a large gym bag  
over her right shoulder.  
  
"Faster than I thought it would," she replied with a grin as she dropped the bag on the  
floor with an audible thud. "Usually, I'd have to beat ol' Frank senseless before he'd  
cough up where he's hidden his stash." She pulled out her gun from behind her back and gave  
it an appraising look before displaying it to Jack. "Amazing how cooperative a guy can get  
once you stick this in his crotch."  
  
Jack mentally winced in sympathy for the guy. "So, tell me. Do you usually threaten your  
contacts' groin areas, or did this guy just piss you off somehow?"  
  
"It's a long story, Jack," she replied as she tucked her gun back where she got it from  
and picked up the bag. "The short of it is that he's a bit of a bastard, but he's one of  
the best at getting the necessary gear for you. For a price, of course."  
  
"What, did he demand that you sleep with him as the price one time?" he asked with a laugh.  
  
Diane stopped and stared at him. "What did you say?" she asked.  
  
His laughter instantly died. "Something very stupid," he replied.  
  
"I'd bet," she said as she slowly smirked at him. "But, you were right. He actually tried  
that with me once before. Of course, I kicked his ass for it, but I did need the gear for  
that one case, so I managed to... negotiate with him." She gave a small laugh at the  
memory. "Ever since, the guy always gives me a hard time whenever I need something that the  
government can't supply. I'd have just negotiated as usual, but considering how much time  
we may have left, I didn't want to waste the time."  
  
"From the sound of it, it makes me wonder why he even bothers to deal with you at all," he  
remarked.  
  
"Well, the main reason why he 'even bothers to deal with me', is because he owes me his  
life," she explained. "Basically, one of his old competitors tried to have him killed and  
I not only saved his life, but I took the bullet that was meant for him. Ever since then,  
he's always come through for me whenever I needed something. He still charges me for it,  
but at least it's half off his regular rate."  
  
"I see," Jack said as Diane put the bag on the bed. "So, what'd you get?"  
  
"You almost look like a kid waiting to see what he got for Christmas," she remarked with a  
wry smirk.  
  
"What can I say? New gagets are almost like new toys," he replied with a sheepish shrug.  
  
"Men," she retorted with an exaggerated sigh as she handed him the bag. "Here. Take a look  
around before you explode from the suspense."  
  
"Thanks," he replied as he watched Diane turn toward the bathroom. "You don't wanna look  
with me?" he asked in a false petulant tone.  
  
"Sorry, Sweetie, but Mommy's gotta change," she replied as she turned back and patted him  
on the cheek. "You just have fun with your new toys, okay?"  
  
"Aw...," he sulked as he opened up the bag and started sifting through it. "Hey! Night-  
vision goggles!"  
  
Diane giggled to herself as she watched him for a few moments longer before going into the  
bathroom. "Like a little kid...," she said to herself with a smile.  
  
Jack was going over the various digital lockpicking devices when he heard the phone ring.  
"Hello?" he answered as he idly played with a glass cutter with his free hand. "Hey,  
Christy! Yeah, everything's going well over here so far."  
  
"I just got back from visiting Tira in the hospital," Christy told him. "I just got word  
from the doctors that she'll be well enough to leave the day after tomorrow."  
  
"That's wonderful!" he exclaimed happily. "Hopefully, we shouldn't be here that much  
longer. We've got word that our man is on his way here, so we're making plans for our  
ambush."  
  
"Speaking of which, how much do you know about something called Project: Ginzuishou?"  
  
"Project: Ginzuishou?" he repeated quizzically. "What's that?"  
  
"You don't know?" she said in astonishment. "Tira told me that she told you a little bit  
about it when she first called you. She only learned the rest after she weaseled one of the  
orderlies into letting her use his laptop until she recovered."  
  
He blinked. "She what?" He blinked again as the last part of what she said sank in. "Wait.  
The first time? You mean that laser superweapon thing?"  
  
"Well, yes, I suppose it could be used for that," she admitted. "However, the main thing  
about Project: Ginzuishou is that they are developing plans on how to use the phenomenal  
power gain of their synthetic crystal. We've already heard of one such plan - Project:  
Total Eclipse."  
  
"Synthetic crystal? I don't remember hearing anything about a synthetic crystal."  
  
"Huh? Okay, wait. Let's back up a sec. Okay, you know that the Nijizuishou Crystals are  
being stolen, right?"  
  
"Right."  
  
"Okay. Each crystal has a special property that increases a laser's power by three. If you  
combine the seven crystals' special properties into one man-made crystal, then the gain  
jumps to 1,250. Not only that, but they don't have to worry about the crystal cracking or  
overheating from the tremendous gain."  
  
"What? You're kidding."  
  
"Not a chance. Tira told me she got this straight from Stanton Aeronautical and I'm having  
a contact of mine check this out, and possibly find info on this Project: Total Eclipse,  
too."  
  
"Does Tira know about Project: Total Eclipse?"  
  
"From what I've seen, no. But I wouldn't put it past her to try and poke around Stanton  
Aeronautical some more for more info."  
  
Jack growled to himself. "Christy-"  
  
"Don't worry about it," she assured him. "I'll keep an eye on her for you."  
  
"Thanks," he replied gratefully. "I don't want anything else to happen to her while I'm not  
there."  
  
"I know."  
  
"Something's bothering me, though," he said contemplatively. "There's seven Nijizuishou  
Crystals, right?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"So, if you triple something seven times, the gain is going to be greater than 1,250," he  
pointed out. "Why go to the trouble of making this crystal if he's going to have all seven  
crystals? Why not just use those instead?"  
  
There was silence on Christy's end for a moment. "That's a good question."  
  
"Well, if all goes well here, it all may be a moot point," he replied.  
  
"Yeah. Good luck, Jack. You and Diane be careful out there," she told him.  
  
"Thanks," he said and hung up the phone. Setting the bag aside, he got up from the bed and  
went over to the bathroom door. "Diane?" he called out knocking on the door.  
  
"Yes?" she said as she opened the door wearing a towel wrapped around herself and her hair  
hanging down around her shoulders. "What is it, Jack?"  
  
"I just got a call from Christy," he told her. "She says that Tira's going to be out of the  
hospital in two days."  
  
"That's great, Jack, but somehow I get the feeling that that isn't the reason you stopped  
me from taking a shower," she replied, folding her arms beneath her breasts.  
  
"Remember that weapon Tira told us about?" he asked. "The one that Stanton Aeronautical  
was planning? It seems that that's not all that's going on over there."  
  
"What do you mean?" she asked, her expression turning serious.  
  
"It seems that it's part or some overall project called Project: Ginzuishou," he told her.  
"They're trying to use the Nijizuishou Crystals to create this synthetic crystal that can  
amplify power over a thousand times with no adverse effects."  
  
"A thousand...," she said, frowning as she trailed off worriedly.  
  
"There's this other project that Christy mentioned, as well. Project: Total Eclipse. I  
don't know what it is, but the name alone is enough to make me wonder exactly what is going  
on at that company." He blinked as he realized that Diane was still standing in front of  
him wearing nothing but a towel. "You should go take your shower, Diane."  
  
"What, is seeing me like this too much for you?" she asked as she leaned seductively  
against the doorframe and started to slowly slide down it while staring steamily at him.  
  
"Sometimes," he admitted with a small smile. "But now's really not the time for that, is  
it?" he added with a wistful sigh.  
  
She gave him a considering glance for a moment, then nodded as she straightened herself.  
"Yes, I suppose it isn't," she agreed with a sigh of her own. "But still, there's a time  
and a place for everything, right? I guess that means the right time would be later, don't  
you think?" she added with a smile.  
  
"Maybe so," he agreed with a smile of his own. "But what about the right place?"  
  
"Come now, Jack," she said as she turned back toward the bathroom, "let's not ask stupid  
questions." With that, she winked at him over her shoulder and closed the door behind her.  
  


* * *

  
  
Shingo cracked his knuckles gleefully as he booted his computer and broke out a bottle of  
Sapporo Draft and a few cans of Asahi Super Dry. "I have a feeling it's gonna be an all-  
nighter," he said as he cracked open an Asahi and downed a third of it in one go. "I really  
hope that this isn't too easy. That wouldn't be any fun at all."  
  
He drank the rest of the can and tossed it over his shoulder as the computer finished  
booting up. The can bounced off the wall and hit the rim of the wastebasket, landing on the  
floor. With a vexed grimace, he turned to his computer and proceeded to log on. "Gotta work  
on those free throws...."  
  
Once he was logged in, he brought out the paper with the URL that Christy gave him. Using  
that, he ran a lookup of the webserver's IP address. Now that he had an IP address, he  
started to probe the server for any weaknesses that he could exploit. Within minutes, he  
finally was able to find a small weakness in one of the file system daemons that was  
vulnerable to a buffer overflow attack. Not a well-known weakness, but it was one that he  
knew about.  
  
"I wonder if this's how Christy's friend got in?" he wondered to himself as he sent a  
session request with specially-crafted headers to initiate the buffer overflow attack. Once  
the request was forwarded to the web server, the targeted daemon ceased responding,  
granting him root access. He was in.  
  
"All too easy," he sighed disappointedly. "Their system security desperately needs work.  
A decent system should've kept me busy for at least an hour." With a shrug, he ran a  
network probe to find out where the network's file server was. Upon finding it, he started  
to browse through the directories, searching for anything related to Project: Ginzuishou  
or Project: Total Eclipse.  
  
An hour later, Shingo sighed as he came up with nothing. It was a big file server and there  
were so many directories to sift through.  
  
"Dammit," he muttered as he tossed his last can of Asahi Super Dry over his shoulder,  
missing the wastebasket again. "If only I had something to go by. It could be almost  
anything...."  
  
Wait. That last file that Christy gave him. It was a big file; several megabytes large, in  
fact. Maybe he should start looking for larger files. There was a folder a few directories  
back that didn't look too promising at first - Communication Array Planning - but it had  
several large files in it. Could be worth a shot.  
  
After navigating to the folder, he started browsing through the documents listed. Monthy  
budget. Transferring personnel. Testing results for line-of-sight communications for all  
previously launched satellites. Maintenance plans for all satellites. Plans for a new  
communications satellite.  
  
Shingo was about to move on to the next document when something caught his attention.  
Listed on the new communications satellite was what he believed to be the specs for a UHF  
frequency jammer.  
  
"UHF?" he mused aloud as he leaned back in his seat and stared up at the ceiling. "What  
would a comms satellite need a UHF jammer for? Don't they realize that it's just gonna end  
up jamming its own transmissions? That's got to be the stupidest-"  
  
He cut off as he read the words at the bottom of the specifications sheet. "Authorized  
access only. Access restricted to Project: Ginzuishou and Project: Total Eclipse personnel  
only."  
  
A wide smile spread across his face. "Jackpot."  
  


* * *

  
  
When Diane came out of the bathroom, she saw Jack standing by the window, staring outside  
with a pensive look on his face. 'He must be thinking about Tira again,' she thought as she  
unwrapped the towel from around her hair and tossed it on the bed. Originally, they were  
supposed to have a room with two beds, but she had suggested this room because it was less  
expensive and therefore, easier on her very limited budget. Well, Artie's budget, but  
still, she would rather try to spend as little as she could. Poor Artie would have a  
coronary when he looked at his credit card bill for this month.  
  
Putting aside thoughts of credit cards and budgets, she came up behind Jack and wrapped her  
arms around him while laying her head on his shoulder. "Thinking about Tira again, aren't  
you?" she asked as she tilted her head to look up at him.  
  
"I'm not going to be there when she gets out of the hospital," he told her as he glanced  
down at her. "I called Christy and asked her if she wouldn't mind looking after her for  
me."  
  
"Now, Jack," Diane said as she started to pull back from him. She blinked up at him in  
surprise as he took her hands in his and pulled them back to where she had placed them  
before.  
  
"Yes, I know what you're going to say," he said with a wistful smile. "She's a big girl  
now; she can take care of herself. Right?"  
  
She stared at him for a moment longer before leaning her head on his shoulder again. "More  
or less," she agreed.  
  
"I know. It took me a long time to learn how to be a father, Diane," he told her. "And now  
that I feel like I've finally figured it out, she's almost ready to strike out on her own."  
He sighed quietly. "Sometimes I feel like I haven't done enough for her. Like now, for  
instance. Here I am, halfway around the world while she's in the hospital. I know she  
understands why, but part of me still feels like I should be in that hospital, waiting for  
her to glare at me and tell me that she's perfectly capable of walking out of the hospital  
on her own two feet, not being wheeled around like an old granny."  
  
Diane laughed softly. "I can imagine her saying something like that."  
  
He regarded her for a moment. "You know, you've grown pretty attached to her yourself, you  
know."  
  
"I have, haven't I?" she said thoughtfully. "Maybe it's because she sometimes reminds me of  
Hotaru."  
  
"Really? How?"  
  
"The way she acts around you. It's almost the same as how Hotaru acts around her father.  
She lost her mother at a young age, too. Younger than Tira, though. That and she's a really  
sweet girl, although a bit more playful at times than Hotaru. Hotaru's more of a shy type  
of girl."  
  
"Hmm," Jack said as he turned back to gazing out the window.  
  
"Hey, Jack."  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"There's something I've been meaning to ask you," she said as she pulled away and sat on  
the bed. "If you don't mind, that is."  
  
Jack turned from the window and sat down next to her. "What is it?"  
  
"You've been taking care of Tira all by yourself, right?" she said thoughtfully.  
  
"That's right."  
  
"You never asked your father for any help?"  
  
"I did once," he replied with a heavy sigh. "It didn't go very well. He wasn't very happy  
with my decision to try and raise Ti all by myself. He thought that I should at least be  
married before trying to raise a child, even if she was already fifteen years old."  
  
He shook his head sadly. "I didn't care much for what he had to say to me, but there was  
one thing he said that I understand now. No matter how hard I try, I can't be a mother to  
her, only a father."  
  
"You didn't date or anything?"  
  
"A couple times," he told her. "Nothing really serious. Whenever they found out that I had  
a daughter, they usually broke it off soon afterward. There were a few that did stay with  
me, but in each case, she and Tira didn't get along. Each time, I broke it off a short time  
after learning that.  
  
"I've been mostly alone since, but I don't mind it that much." He gave a small, cynical  
laugh. "Tira thinks I should get out more. She keeps on saying that if I find a nice girl,  
I should bring her home and introduce her."  
  
"You mean, like me?" Diane asked as she put her hand on his.  
  
Jack silently looked at her for a long time. "Yeah," he said with a smile as he slowly  
leaned toward her. "Like you," he said as his lips met hers.  
  
It was a long, heartfelt kiss that grew more ardent and amorous as it continued. As the  
kiss broke off, Diane raised a hand and softly caressed Jack's cheek. "You're a wonderful  
man, Jack. I'm just amazed that no one's ever seen that before."  
  
"You have," he replied as he took her hand in his and kissed it. "I suppose it takes an  
extrordinary woman to see it."  
  
"Flirt," she laughed as she leaned in for another kiss while reaching up to undo the  
buttons of his shirt.  
  
"Takes one to know one," he countered as he took off Diane's shirt.  
  
"At least you didn't say, 'I know you are, but what am I?'" she said as she reached over  
and turned off the lamp. "If you did, I'd have to hurt you."  
  
"I'll keep that in mind," he replied as he started trailing kisses down her neck.  
  
Diane finished taking off Jack's shirt and pulled him down onto the bed while straddling  
him. "Less talk. More action," she ordered as she started on his pants.  
  
"Yes, ma'am," he complied as he started to unbutton her pants. "I love a take-charge kind  
of woman."  
  
"What can I say? I know what I want," she replied as she lifted up enough to slip off her  
pants while taking his with them. "And right now, I want you."  
  
"And the feeling's mutual," he said as he sat up and kissed her on the neck again, ending  
all conversation for the rest of the night as they slipped beneath the covers of the bed.  
  


* * *

  
  
"Okay, cut!" Amy shouted. "That'll do it for...." She trailed off as she noticed that  
Serena and Darien were still going at it beneath the sheets. "Hey! I said, cut! Cut,  
dammit!!!"  
  
"Shall we get the ice?" Lita asked as she shared a glance with her brother.  
  
"Extra large buckets, I think," Jason agreed with a nod.  
  
"Damn the ice. Get the hose," Amy said as she jerked a thumb toward the fire station in the  
corner of the studio.  
  
"H-hey!" Serena exclaimed as she sat up, lifting the blankets with her. "No need to go THAT  
far, you know!"  
  
"I know," the blue-haired director replied with a smirk. "But it got your attention, didn't  
it?"  
  
Darien laughed at the look on Serena's face. "She's got you there."  
  
"Oh, shut up, you," she retorted as she grabbed a pillow and smacked him with it. "And put  
your damn clothes on," she added as she threw his clothes at him and picked up her own and  
started to put them back on.  
  
"You mean, I can't admire your beautiful barely-clothed body anymore?" Darien asked in a  
dramatically hurtful tone as he started getting dressed. "How cruel...."  
  
"Oh, stuff it, pretty-boy," she shot back with a laughing grin spread across her face. "So,  
we're done for today?" she asked Amy as she buttoned her pants and sat on the bed.  
  
"Yes, as I was going to say before I was rudely interrupted by your little exhibitionistic  
display, we're all done for today," she told them as she rolled her eyes in annoyance.  
Behind her, she could hear Mina and G.Q. laughing.  
  
"You know, that's a side of Darien I've never seen before," Mina mentioned to G.Q.  
  
"What do you mean?" he asked.  
  
"Why, his backside, of course," she told him as she wolf-whistled. "Nice tush, Darien!"  
she laughed.  
  
"Mine!" Serena barked, causing Mina to laugh even harder.  
  
"I give up," Amy sighed as she shook her head.  
  


* * *

  
  
To Chapter 40  
  


* * *

  
  
Author's Note: Readers rejoice! I have finished yet another chapter of Seeing Stars! Yes, I  
know I've been taking WAY too long in between chapters, but I've got so many other projects  
to take care of, not to mention work. Fortunately, now that we're coming back to San Diego  
very soon, I should be getting more time to work on this and all my other stories. I'm that  
much closer to wrapping up this story and the action in the movie plot should get that much  
faster, as well. Next chapter: a night out with Serena and Darien; Jed arrives in Sydney;  
and Project: Total Eclipse is unveiled at last.  
  
Disclaimer: All original materials belong to their respective  
owners. Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi and a bunch  
of big companies. No copyright infringement is intended. This  
story belongs to Moonsong and myself, and I would appreciate  
you emailing her or myself for permission before posting it  
anywhere else. Thank you.  
  
Prologue Copyright © January 24, 2000 Moonsong.  
Other Chapters Copyright © August 12, 2000 Jason Ulloa.  
All Rights Reserved. 


	41. Chapter 40

Seeing Stars  
By Jason Ulloa  
Original story by Moonsong  
Continued with her permission.

Chapter 40

"So, where are we headed?" Darien asked as he sat in the passenger seat of Serena's car. He  
couldn't help but admire the interior of her sports coupe. It was so much better than his  
own car, not to mention that the car had more power under the hood than his own. Hell, even  
her cup holder was nicer than his.

Maybe one day he could sweet talk her into letting him take her little bad boy out for a  
spin.

"Feel like going to a nightclub, Darien?" she asked.

Darien caught a hint of playfulness in her voice and glanced over at her. "You have  
someplace in particular in mind?"

"As a matter of fact, I do," she said with the beginning of a sly grin showing on her face.  
"It's a place I used to frequent a while back before I met you. I've been thinking of going  
there again. One of the servers there is a really good friend of mine."

"Oh?"

"I introduced him to his wife," she said smugly. "Last I heard, his wife's expecting a  
child."

Darien nodded absently as he continued to look over the interior of the car. Judging from  
all the accessories and add-ons and such, this car was something he could never afford on  
his old salary. Perhaps when the movie started taking off - he certainly hoped it would -  
he could afford something like this. Maybe he could ask her where she got it.

"You listening, Darien?"

"Yeah, wife's expecting. Got it."

"You drooling over my car, Darien?"

"Yeah, drooling over-" He caught himself a little too late. "Um, it's a very nice car.  
Really."

Serena sighed and shook her head. "Right. Anyway, I think you'll like the place. Real  
sophisticated and classy." She paused and glanced over what Darien was wearing. "Maybe I  
should've had you change into something a little more appropriate."

He looked himself over. "Something wrong with what I'm wearing?"

"Not really," Serena admitted reluctantly. "Although the shirt and slacks aren't all that  
dressy, I think they'll let you in as long as you're with me. After all, I look good enough  
for the both of us," she added haughtily.

Darien gave a small snort of amusement. "With an ego to match."

She pretended to scowl at him while lightly punching him in the arm. "You'd better watch  
it, pretty boy, or I might just let you walk home."

"I cower in your wrath and submit myself to you, Your Majesty," he replied while making a  
show of favoring his arm where she punched him.

"Hmm... that almost sounds kinky," she said lasciviously.

"Should I be scared?"

"Now, you should," she added, her smirk widening noticably.

"Oh."

Now whether this was a good or bad thing was anybody's guess.

* * *

"Here we are," Serena gestured grandly as they entered the club. "The Silver Moon."

"Hm. Almost like this place was named in your honor, right, Serena?" he asked knowingly.

"It was. They just don't know that yet," she said as she stepped forward and waved at a  
server near the back of the room. "Hey, Vince!"

Vince nodded and waved back, indicating that he'd be there as soon as he could. "That him?"  
Darien asked.

"Yeah. Vincent Guaraldi, though he prefers to be called 'Vince'."

"Wait. Vince Guaraldi? The same name as that guy who wrote that song for those 'Peanuts'  
movies and such?" Darien asked.

"The same," Serena nodded. "Funny you mention that. He's a big fan of the Peanuts comic  
strip and Vince Guaraldi's music. There was one time that the band let Vince come up on  
stage and play a couple of Vince Guaraldi songs like 'Linus and Lucy' and 'Red Baron'. He's  
pretty damn good on the piano, but why he stays on as a server in a nightclub instead of  
trying to break into the music business is beyond me."

"Maybe he just likes it here?" Darien supposed. "Either that, or he just hasn't had his  
break, yet."

"I suppose that could be it," she replied as she shrugged. "Still, a lot of us think that  
Vince could make it if he really wanted."

"You think so, Miss Moon?" Vince asked as he came up to them with a friendly smile. "Ah,  
but the music industry can be just as fickle and uncaring of new musicians as the movie  
industry is of new actors. Don't you think?"

"Well, when you put it like that...," she admitted.

"Ah, but we're not here to talk about me, right?" he interjected. "I take it you're here  
with a guest this time?"

"Vince, this is Darien Shields. Darien, Vince."

"Well, any friend of Miss Moon's is a friend of mine," Vince said amicably. "I certainly  
hope you enjoy your time here at the Silver Moon."

"By the way, in case you haven't already noticed, Vince's a real big suck-up."

Vince made a show of being offended. "Why, Miss Moon! How could you say such a thing to  
someone who has been faithfully serving you for the past few years? I'm hurt!"

"A suck-up, and a bad actor," she amended.

"Miss Moon!"

"Call me that again, and I'll start calling you Vincent again."

"Right," Vince said, dropping the act. "I forgot. Sorry. Anyway, would you like the usual  
table?"

"Sure, Vince. And who's playing today? It's been a while since I've been frequenting the  
place."

"Ah, you've noticed that Donny's not here today," he said as he led the pair to their  
table. "Well, yesterday was his last performance here. He was picked up by some local  
label. Duotone Records, I think. He said that he was hoping to put something out by the end  
of the year, but I'm not holding my breath. Albums don't get made that fast. Not unless  
you've got some experience in recording. A lot of producers say that when artists first  
record, their first album usual takes anywhere from eight months to a year to produce and  
release to the public."

He stopped as soon as they reached their table. "Oh, but you don't want to hear me ramble  
on. Anyway, until we get a replacement, we're mostly relying on instrumentals and the  
occasional guest vocalist, whether local talent or some recording artist wanting to sing  
here on a whim." He noticed the disbeliving stares the two were giving him. "Well, it could  
happen.

"At any rate, to answer your question, one of the local artists is performing here today.  
The guy's name is Leo Nieves. He's pretty good, although Donny was better, in my opinion."

"Well, as long as the guy's good," Serena said. "Get me the regular, Vince."

"Sure thing, Serena," he nodded, then turned to Darien. "And for you, Mr. Shields?"

"Darien's fine," he told him. "Can you get me a Rum and Coke, please? Straight up."

"No problem," he replied as he turned to leave. "If you care for anything else, I've left  
the menu on the table, as usual."

"Thanks, Vince," Serena said as the man left. "So, Darien, what do you think of the place  
so far?"

"I feel like I've stepped onto the set of Casablanca, or something," he remarked.

"Don't tell me you've actually seen that movie, Darien," Serena laughed.

"What? You think I haven't seen Casablanca?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You hardly seem the type to be watching old black and white movies."

"Well, you never know," he said as he folded his arms. "I could've seen it once or twice."

"I still doubt it. You probably saw a little bit of it while channel surfing, but that's  
about it."

"You hurt my feelings," he grumbled as Vince came to the table with their drinks. "Hey,  
that was pretty fast."

"If there's anything else you need, just let me know," Vince said, then left.

"Not bad," Darien said after taking a drink. "By the way, what's that you're drinking?"

"My usual," she told him. "Ever heard of a Climax?"

"What's in it?"

"Some triple sec, some amaretto, vodka... I'm not really sure of exactly what goes into it,  
but it's pretty damn good." She passed the cocktail glass over to him. "Here. Give it a  
try."

"Mmm. Pretty good," he nodded as he passed the glass back to her. "Not bad at all."

"I know," Serena said as she took another drink. "This place sometimes mixes drinks and  
puts them in bottles for you to take home. Not all drinks can be bottled and still taste  
the same, but this one manages just fine," she added, patting her glass fondly.

"Hey, I've been wondering," Darien said as he turned around and glanced at the empty area  
in front of the stage, "that area's for dancing, right?"

"Hm? Oh, yeah," she nodded as she saw what he was referring to. "Feel like taking your girl  
out for a spin?"

"Not a bad idea, actually," he said as he stood up. "Wait here for a minute."

"All right," she said with an intrigued smile.

Darien headed over to the stage as the band was closing the current song and signalled to  
the band leader. "Hey, do you guys take requests?"

The band leader gave him a neutral look. "I hope you don't think that we play just any old  
song, sir. Please mind the kind of establishment you're in."

He blinked in surprise for a moment. "I take it you've had people ask you to play songs  
you'd usually find on the radio?"

"If I hear another request for 'Zoot Suit Riot', I will personally slap him or her myself."

"I'll remember that," Darien said drolly. "Would you be against performing 'Blue-Eyed Lady'  
by Jake Udall?"

The band leader blinked again. "Not at all. I don't get many requests for Jake Udall. You a  
fan or something?"

"Let's just say I know good music when I hear it," he replied.

"Gotcha. Give us a few and we'll be ready to go."

"Thanks." With that, he went back to his table and held out a hand for Serena. "Care to  
dance?"

"I'd love to," she replied as she took his hand as she rose from her chair and followed him  
out onto the dance floor. "So, what song did you request?"

"A little something that I think you'll like," Darien replied mysteriously.

"Well, I'm surprised that you picked something that Frank likes," she said, intrigued. "He  
can get real touchy about certain requests. Judging by the expression I saw on his face, I  
think you surprised him, too."

"My intention all along."

"You're full of crap, Darien."

"Only for you, my dear."

As soon as they reached the dance floor, the band started playing the opening to the song  
Darien had requested. It was a medium-paced swing that remotely reminded Serena of Van  
Morrison's song 'Moondance', but only because of the rhythm of the song and the sound of  
the piano chords.

'When I see you standing, baby,  
Underneath the Moon's silv'ry light,  
I can't wait to have you near me;  
I just want to be with you tonight.  
Don't you leave me waiting, Darling;  
'Cause we're gonna dance until the sunrise.  
My heart beats faster, my lady,  
Everytime I look in your eyes.

'You leave me breathless  
With your smile,  
Blue-Eyed Lady.  
Mesmerize  
With your eyes,  
Blue-Eyed Lady.'

"Interesting choice of song, Darien," Serena commented as he spun her around him.

"I knew you'd like it," he replied as he quickly dipped her and pulled her back up while  
the second verse began.

'Now the summertime breeze is blowin'  
And you know I'll be holdin' you tight.  
Can't you see how much I want you,  
And you know I'll be treatin' you right.

'Girl, I see Heaven  
In your smile,  
Blue-Eyed Lady.  
Hypnotize  
With your eyes,  
Blue-Eyed Lady.'

The song went into a piano solo, while Darien continued to lead Serena around the dance  
floor. As they danced, a small crowd was starting to form around the edge of the dance  
floor, some conversing amongst themselves as they watched the pair dance.

'Now the summertime breeze is blowin'  
And you know I'll be holdin' you tight.  
Can't you see how much I want you,  
And you know I'll be treatin' you right.

'Girl, I see Heaven  
In your smile,  
Blue-Eyed Lady.  
Hypnotize  
With your eyes,  
Blue-Eyed Lady.  
You leave me breathless  
With your smile,  
My Blue-Eyed Lady.  
Mesmerize  
With your eyes,  
My Blue-Eyed Lady.'

Darien dipped Serena one last time amid applause as the song ended. The pair bowed  
sheepishly as the onlookers started to join them on the dance floor.

"Care for another dance, my blue-eyed lady?" Darien asked as he raised one of her hands to  
his lips and kissed it.

"Absolutely," she said with a small smile.

* * *

Jed sighed as he stepped out of the cab. Stupid Southern Pacific weather. Why the hell did  
that storm have to come up right in the middle of his flight's path? Thanks to that storm,  
he was forced to spend a couple of days in New Zealand waiting for the storm to abate.  
Well, at least he was here now. He was finally in Sydney, Australia, the location of the  
seventh and final Nijizuishou crystal.

He was a few days off of his schedule, so there was no time to waste. First, he had to get  
settled into his hotel room. Something close to the museum where the crystal was.

Which was why he was here at this moment. After paying the driver and getting his things  
out of the cab, he made his way into the hotel.

"Sir, do you need assistance with that?" the concierge at the front desk inquired as Jed  
dropped his bags beside him.

"No, thank you. I prefer to handle my own luggage," he replied. "I made a reservation for  
a room a few hours ago." He placed a passport on the desk. "Name, Joey Atkinson."

"Thank you, sir," the concierge said as he turned to his computer and looked up the  
reservation. "Ah, yes. Mr. Atkinson. Your room will be number 502. I can get you some  
assistance for your luggage if you want."

"No, thank you. I'll be fine," Jed said as he picked up his key.

"Very well, sir. Just call 00 if you need anything else," he said as he turned back to his  
computer. Jed nodded, picked up his passport and luggage, and left for his room.

He had planning to do. It was time to get cracking.

* * *

"Hello?" Christy replied sleepily as she picked up the phone.

"Christy? It's Shingo. We need to talk. Now."

"Shingo?" she said in surprise as she turned on her bedroom lamp and glanced at the alarm  
clock on her nightstand. "Why the hell are you calling me at 2:30 in the morning? Couldn't  
it wait until tomorrow?"

"No," he curtly replied. "This's about that Project: Total Eclipse we were talking about  
the other day. I think I've figured out what this's all about."

"What?" Christy sat bolt upright. "Spill it. Now."

"Right. So, I checked out that site you gave me and broke in. Real easy, too. No real  
security to speak of. All they had was those custom-made viruses, but I aleady knew about  
those, so I was able to get past them easy.

"Anyway, I started rooting around their main access terminal and found nothing, so I moved  
on to their file server. After a long search, I found this file detailing plans for a  
satellite with a UHF frequency jammer."

"Wait. Don't satellites use UHF?" Christy asked.

"Yeah, mostly for orbital communications. Satellite-to-satellite comms use a lower  
frequency since the transmission doesn't have to penetrate the Earth's atmosphere. A UHF  
jammer would cut off transmissions between satellites and the Earth, but allow  
transmissions between the satellites themselves."

"What would the point of that be? If all orbital comms are blocked, then how would they  
control their own satellite?"

"I wondered that as well, at first. The specs sheet had some info for it, but not much on  
its configuration. The file was also listed as restricted to only Project: Ginzuishou and  
Project: Total Eclipse personnel. That's when I started looking for detailed specs for this  
thing.

"After snooping around some more, I found another file server that had limited access to  
most users on the network I was on. Since I had root access, I was fine. A few minutes  
later, I found what I was looking for.

"Apparently, they've designed a bandpass filter which will allow only a certain frequency  
through to a satellite that has a UHF jammer. According to a sidenote on another file I  
had gone through earlier, there would be random times when the UHF jammer would be stopped  
for a few moments - enough to allow a small number of things, like course corrections, or  
the downloading of diagnostics reports, and so on. Once the jamming stops, they get into  
the satellite through a specific frequency, do whatever they need to, then get out as the  
jamming reactivates."

"Okay, so what does this have to do with Project: Total Eclipse?"

"I'm getting to that," Shingo replied. "According to other Project: Total Eclipse files  
I've found, there are already five satellites in orbit with these UHF jammers equipped,  
each one with a radius of about 3,000 miles, and another one slated for launch in the near  
future.

"There's a seventh one also slated for a near-future lanuch, however, this one is not going  
to have a jammer attached to it. Furthermore, this one is going to be in a geostationary  
orbit over some point in the Mojave Desert. There's some additional equipment in there as  
well, however, I couldn't make out what it could possibly be used for.

"At any rate, it seems that these seven satellites are all connected to the Projects:  
Ginzuishou and Total Eclipse. Remember when we first learned about Project: Ginzuishou  
where that synthetic crystal could be created using the special properties of each of the  
seven Nijizuishou crystals and that the best way to extract those properties was in a  
vacuum?

"According to that file I read, five of those seven crystals are already up in space and in  
position."

"In position for what?"

"There's a secondary function for those seven satellites that were created specifically for  
the creation of the Ginzuishou. Once the Ginzuishou is created, six of the seven  
Nijizuishou crystals are going to be used as part of the UHF jammer circuits. Due to the  
size of the interference fields each satellite can produce, the six satellites can  
effectively jam every satellite comm link all over the world."

"My God. Can you imagine what that could do to the world?" Christy whispered dreadfully.  
"Complete satellite communications blackout. Almost like a total eclipse."

"Communications between countries would be affected over phone AND Internet. News and other  
television networks wouldn't be able to broadcast. GPS systems would fail. Weather  
forecasts would be impossible. Militaries would become crippled. Many countries' defenses  
would become weakened. Especially ours.

"There would be chaos. Complete and utter chaos."

"This is sounding more and more like some kinda conspiracy out of a James Bond movie,"  
Christy remarked uneasily. "I'm just a cop, dammit. What am I supposed to do with this? Go  
up to my boss and say, 'Excuse me, sir, but I got this anonymous tip that some guy's trying  
to cause the world to collapse by bringing down the world's satellite communications  
network. Shall we go bring this guy in for questioning?'"

"You've got me, Christy. However, we just can't keep quiet about something like this."

"Wait. There's this FBI agent I know that's involved in something that might be related to  
this. I could try to get in touch with her."

"The sooner, the better," Shingo agreed. "One more thing. There was a mention of another  
project having to do with both Project: Ginzuishou and Project: Total Eclipse, but from  
what I was able to find, the project was still in the planning stages. As such, it hadn't  
even been named yet. All I know is that it has to do with the possibility of combining the  
power amplification of the Ginzuishou with the possibility of creating a sort of "combined  
amplification network" with the Nijizuishou still in orbit."

"Anything you can find out about that would be appreciated, Shingo," Christy replied. "I'll  
be sure to get in touch with that FBI agent as soon as possible. Thanks again for the heads  
up, Shingo."

"Just repaying a favor, Christy. All this conspiracy and espionage-type stuff is so  
freaking wild! I haven't been this excited since I almost got caught breaking into that one  
military bases' network."

Christy laughed. "Well, at least you won't have to worry about moving out of your parents'  
house if you get caught. Good night, Shingo."

"Good night, Christy."

* * *

To Chapter 41

* * *

Author's Note: I am so, so, so VERY sorry for taking so damn long in writing the next  
chapter of this story. I've just been swamped with work and other things - not to mention  
my other stories (like 'The Brooch', for example). Anyway, I'm going to try and finish up  
this story as soon as possible. After all, I'm almost finished. Just a few more chapters to  
go. Wow, 40 chapters already. And this story is almost what? Five years old? I really need  
to finish this thing up, and soon. Oh, by the way, that song, "Blue-Eyed Lady" by 'Jake  
Udall' was really written by me. I figured that I'd just use a pseudonym rather than put  
myself into the story. Next chapter: Jed makes plans for the heist; Jack and Diane  
learn of Project: Total Eclipse; and Darien gets a surprise visit during lunch.

Disclaimer: All original materials belong to their respective  
owners. Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi and a bunch  
of big companies. No copyright infringement is intended. This  
story belongs to Moonsong and myself, and I would appreciate  
you emailing her or myself for permission before posting it  
anywhere else. Thank you.

Prologue Copyright © January 24, 2000 Moonsong.  
Other Chapters Copyright © August 12, 2000 Jason Ulloa.  
All Rights Reserved. 


	42. Chapter 41

Seeing Stars  
By Jason Ulloa  
Original story by Moonsong  
Continued with her permission. 

Chapter 41

Jed scowled as he headed back to his hotel room. After spending a couple of hours going through the museum that housed the last Nijizuishou crystal, he had a good feel for the level of security that was in place.

And that level was certainly higher than he remembered, which meant that the plans he had made up on the way to Sydney all had to be scrapped. There were at least half a dozen more guards and security monitors, not to mention the new infrared laser array that had been specifically installed around the Nijizuishou display itself. Fortunately, that seemed to be the only modifications made, so the real challenge was just getting around the laser array without being spotted by the guards or cameras.

One of the main weaknesses of lasers was the fact that they could be redirected without being tripped. The only thing was that the second the beam was broken, the alarm would trip. He had to adjust the beam so that the beam would continuously go from the emitter to the collector even as the beam was adjusted. It didn't matter that the beam was traveling farther; what mattered was that the beam reached the other side.

An array of mirrors was probably the best way to go, however, carrying such a thing around - let alone constructing one - wasn't something easily accomplished. One had to take into account the width of the beam as well as the angles of reflection of the mirrors. One degree off and the entire beam wouldn't cover the collector. Some systems were designed so that if less than a certain percentage of loss occurred, the alarm would trip. The higher end alarms were constructed so that less that 1 loss would trip the alarm. The highest quality alarm he had ever heard of had a sensitivity of less than 0.3 loss.

From what he could tell, the alarm looked to be the type that would accept around 2-3 loss. Still, he had to plan for less than 1, for caution as well as for pride's sake. He was one of the best, after all.

Now that he knew how to get the crystal, he had to figure out how to get into the museum, as well as how to get out. First, getting in. It was a large one-story museum, so there were plenty of guards, enough to stand in rotating shifts. However, one weakness he had observed was that the shift changes were always the same: 8am, 4pm and midnight. Even better was the fact that the shift changes were always performed at the security office, so most of the museum was unguarded during the change. Also, the changing of the guard, as he liked to term it, usually took an average of fifteen to twenty minutes. Moreso, for the guards at the far end of the museum where the Nijizuishou crystal was.

The human aspect of breaking in was no problem, but there were still the security cameras to consider. Fortunately, the cameras weren't fixed. Even better, the cameras weren't in the corners, but the middle of the walls. Better still, the timing of the cameras were slightly off, so there were moments when a section of the room was completely blind. He already had those times written down, as well as estimated window lengths. The most he had time to work with was about thirty seconds.

One possibility he could do was use something to pin the cameras in place, one by one, until all cameras were facing away from the Nijizuishou display. Another possibility was to cut the power to all of the cameras. The cameras were too high to attach a scrambler or a loop circuit. Of course, he could always destroy the cameras, too. However, with destroying the cameras or cutting the power - or using a scrambler, for that matter - the loss of visuals in that area would immediately set off an alarm. So, that left pinning the cameras in place.

With what he had brought with him, there were a few possible tools he could use. However, most of the projectiles had too big of a mass and could be easily spotted as the other cameras panned across the room. There was really only one choice he had amongst all his tools - his dart gun. It was normally used for shooting a line across a room so that he could either swing, then rappel down, or just glide down after attaching the other end to something. However, with a little bit of modification, he could easily use the darts to keep the cameras from moving by shooting them into the wall right next to the base of the camera. The camera would push against the dart, but remain stuck, if the dart stuck into the wall deep enough. It could possibly work.

As for the roaming guards, therein laid the problem. The guards were trained to use random roaming patterns, so there was no way he could accurately estimate how long he would have before being spotted by a guard. However, the fortunate thing was that the guards only had radios with them, so if he disabled the radio and took out the guard, then he'd be safe for a while. Most guards tended not to cover other guard's areas, since they thought of them as their area of responsibility, or something like that. He had some fast-acting tranquilizer that would do the job.

Getting to and from the room was a bit of a problem, though. The air ducts were built small, so he couldn't use those. He could sneak from room to room, but that was very risky. His skills were on par for the task, but at this point in the game a chance like that wouldn't be prudent. Still, he couldn't see any other way. He already had a good working knowledge of the museum's layout, so he knew where he could hide and not be seen.

He had his plan. He was ready.

It would happen tonight at midnight.

* * *

"Are you sure, Diane?" Jack asked as he packed their gear into two separate backpacks. 

"I'm positive," she said as she stepped out of the bathroom wearing a skin-tight black bodysuit. "I know I saw that man here! He was checking out the Nijizuishou display this afternoon. I'm almost positive he'll be going after the crystal at any moment. Maybe even tonight!"

Jack turned from the two backpacks full of gear and regarded Diane for a moment. "I believe you, Diane," he said calmly. "I wouldn't be preparing otherwise."

The calmness of Jack's words helped Diane calm down a little. "It's almost time, Jack. Do you think we can do it?"

"Well, I haven't robbed a museum before, so I don't have any past experience to measure against," he replied with a shrug.

Diane laughed slightly. "Neither do I. I guess we'll just be winging it, then?"

"More or less. We do have a bit of a plan, but we're mostly here to keep the Nijizuishou from being stolen, not stealing it ourselves."

"Even though we're actually going to take the crystal if we have the chance?" she asked.

"Well, the best way to keep someone from something is to take it yourself, right?" he replied. "Still, that was the last resort plan. If we can stop that man before he gets to the crystal, then we won't have to worry about it."

"I almost hope he does try to take the crystal at the same time we do," she said quietly. "The sooner I get my hands on him, the better."

"Agreed. This might be our last chance."

"You'd better change, Jack," Diane added, gesturing to the outfit she laid out for him. It was a bodysuit similar to hers, only much larger. "Those clothes will only get in the way for what we have to do tonight."

Jack nodded as he picked up his clothing and headed for the bathroom.

"What? Not going to change in front of me?" Diane pouted. "It's not like I haven't seen it before, you know."

"True, but you didn't change in front of me, either," he retorted. "Fair's fair."

"Ohh...," she whined as he closed the bathroom door behind him. "But I wanna see your sexy ass again!"

"You can see it later," he replied behind the door. "For now, could you please finish getting everything ready?"

"Sure," she replied, slightly disappointed as she went to finish arranging the gear in the backpacks for optimal balance and mobility. After all, if a backpack was weighted wrong, they'd have a harder time moving and staying out of sight.

After a few moments, Jack came out of the bathroom in his tight bodysuit as well.

"Not bad, Jack," Diane said appreciatively. "I can see your cute ass and everything. Very nice."

"Well, you don't look half-bad yourself," he replied with a sly grin. "Tell me; did you get these outfits for functionality or because you were feeling a little kinky at the time?"

"No comment," she replied as she reached over and gave him a quick kiss. "Anyway, are you ready for tonight?"

"Ready," Jack confirmed. "We'll begin at midnight."

Diane nodded seriously. "This ends tonight."

* * *

"All right, everyone! Let's break for lunch!" Amy called out. 

"Great! I'm starving!" Mina said happily. "Hey, Darien! Come 'ere a sec, would ya?"

"What is it?" he asked as he came over to where his agent was waving him over.

"Listen, Darien, I don't want you to take this the wrong way or nothing, but would you mind if I went to lunch with just Serena today? I want to talk with her for a bit without you there. Girl talk, ya know?"

"I think I know what this's about," Darien said. "You want to make sure she's right for me or something, right?"

"I don't want to see you hurt again, Darien," Mina said seriously. "You always seem to attract the wrong kind of girl for you. Raye was just one of a string of many, remember? I don't want what you have to be just another disappointment and heartbreak for you."

"I understand," he said with a quiet smile. "If it'll make you feel better, go ahead. However, I'm sure I've found the right woman this time."

"You said that when you met Raye," Mina reminded him. Darien frowned, but didn't dispute the fact. "I'm sorry, Darien. I didn't mean it like that."

"I know. You mean well," he said with a calm sigh. "Look, just do what you have to. I'll trust what you have to say."

"Thanks, Darien," she said and hugged him. "I know how important this is so I'll try to be as fair as I can. I won't let you down, I promise!" With that, she turned and ran off, waving down the blonde-haired actress.

"Well, I guess I'm stuck having lunch by myself, then," Darien sighed as he turned to leave. Tanya was on another date with that grip she liked and everyone else was already gone to lunch or had previous plans. Well, perhaps he could go visit his friend Andrew at work. It had been a while since the last time he visited, anyway.

His mind made up, he jumped in his car and drove off for The Crown.

* * *

"Well, look who's here!" Andrew exclaimed as Darien walked through the entrance to the Crown. "It's been a while, Dare." 

"Yeah, it's been a while," Darien replied as he shook his friend's hand.

"I see you're alone this time," Andrew remarked.

"Yeah, Mina wanted to talk with Serena over lunch, so I decided to drop by and say hi."

"Ah," Andrew said, nodding understandingly. "Well, let me take you to your usual booth and we can talk in a bit."

"You're not too busy right now?"

"I've hired some more help recently," he replied with a grin. "Business has really took off after I got that flight simulator."

"You finally got it?" Darien asked, interested.

"Wanna try it out?" he replied, grinning childishly. "It's really awesome. I just know you'll love it."

"Food first," Darien said. "After all, it's lunchtime and I'm hungry."

"Right you are," his sandy-blonde haired friend agreed. "We've also added a few new items to our menu, so feel free to try any of them out." He glanced around surreptitiously for a moment. "You might also want to let Serena know about everything that's changed since the last time you've both been here," he added in a low whisper.

"You just want another chance to serve her, don't you?" Darien said dryly.

"You can't really blame me for that, can you?" he shrugged sheepishly. "She's my favorite actress, you know."

"Yeah, yeah. I know," he said, nodding. "I'll tell her when I get back to work."

"You have my undying gratitude."

"Who says I want it?"

"You truly are ungrateful, you know that?"

"And you're truly a kiss-ass, you know that?"

The two laughed as they reached Darien's usual booth. "So, you wanna try one of the new items, or will it be the usual?"

"Tell you what; surprise me," Darien said. "Give me whichever new item you'll think I'll like best."

"You got it," Andrew said eagerly.

"So, what did I order?" he asked curiously.

"Chocolate-covered frog's legs," he replied as he turned to leave.

"Oh. WHAT?"

"Just kidding. You're getting the 'Bleu Ribbon Sourdough Burger,'" he amended. "Take a look at the display," he said, pointing at the little advertising display sitting in the middle of the table amidst the condiments.

"Hmm...," he said as he read the display after Andrew left. "Bacon, crumbled fried onion, bleu cheese, pepperjack cheese, and mayo on grilled sourdough. Sounds pretty good to me."

"Yeah, it's pretty good. It's one of the more popular items here nowadays."

Darien put down the display and turned to see who was talking to him. "Raye!"

"It's been a while, Darien," she said with a small smile. "Do you mind if I sit with you?"

"Um... no, I don't mind," he said with a slight shake of his head.

"Thanks," she said as she sat down across from him. "So, how's work been for you?"

"The acting's harder than I'm used to, but so far I'm enjoying it," he replied. "Everyone's been a big help to me."

"That's good to hear," she said with a pleased grin.

"Also, Amy and Melvin are in the middle of discussing a possible two-movie contract with Mina," he added.

"What?" Raye gasped. "You're kidding!"

"No, I'm completely serious."

There was what he thought might have been a small frown on Raye's face but it was gone so quickly that he doubted what he thought he saw.

"That's great news, Darien!" she said, placing her hands over his and squeezing them for a moment, then releasing them before Darien could pull away. For a moment, Darien thought that Raye would want to try to get back together with him once she heard the news about the impending contract, but it hadn't happened. Perhaps she truly was only interested in him as a friend.

"Anyway, what about you?" Darien asked. "Anything interesting happening in your life?"

"I'm glad you asked!" she brightened immediately. "I was planning on calling you at home or visiting later, but since I ran into you, I figure this's as good a time as any to tell you as any.

"I've finally landed a job!" she said happily.

"Oh, you have?" Andrew said as he returned with a serving tray. "So, where're you working at? What're you doing?" he asked as he served Darien his food.

"Hey, you mind if I get one of those, too?" Raye asked. "Diet Coke, as well."

"No problem," Andrew said as he picked up his tray and started to leave. "I'll be back with the sodas, so wait a minute before you tell us about your new job." Andrew departed, then returned with two sodas, one for Darien and the other for Raye. "Your order will be ready shortly, Raye. Now, what about your new job?"

"Right. Anyway, you know how I've been only landing small gigs, right?" she began. "Nothing too big. Well, one of the people I did a gig for told me of an opening at a club around here for a singer and suggested that I apply for the job. Well, I did and sang one of the songs that I wrote a while ago. The guy that was doing the hiring liked me so much that he offered me a long-term contract to sing there, which I accepted."

"That's great, Raye!" Darien said, reaching for his soda. "So, what's the name of the club you're working at?"

"The Silver Moon."

Darien almost choked on his soda. "The Silver Moon?" he repeated.

"Yeah," she nodded. "Something wrong, Darien?" she asked, noting his reaction.

"Nothing, really," he told her. "It just surprised me; that's all."

"Oh?" she said, giving him a skeptical look.

"Well, that and The Silver Moon is also the name of Serena's favorite nightclub."

Raye's eyes widened at that. "Serena? You mean, Serena Moon, right? The one you're dating right now? That Serena?"

Darien nodded. "Yes, that Serena."

"Well, this's certainly interesting," Raye said as she reached for her soda as well.

"What do you mean, Raye?" Andrew asked curiously.

"I think that Serena's a little wary of me," she told him. "I think she thinks I'm trying to steal Darien back or something." She sighed. "I wish there was a way I could convince her that I'm not after Darien. I'm just his friend and nothing more."

"You'd probably have to talk with her yourself," Darien said. "I don't think my trying to convince her would be a good idea."

Andrew nodded. "That would be best," he agreed. "If you'll excuse me, I think your food's ready," he said as he turned to leave. "I'll be back in just a minute."

"Listen, Darien," Raye said as Andrew left. "I just want to be friends. You know that, right?"

"Yeah, I know," he agreed.

"I want Serena to understand that, too," she said. "I don't want to get in the way of your relationship, especially if you two are happy."

"I'm glad to hear you say that, Raye," he said gratefully. "And I am sorry things didn't work out between us."

"That was more my fault than yours," she told him. "Besides, that's all in the past. Don't worry about it.

"Look, I want to try and patch things up with Serena. I'm sure she hasn't gotten a good impression of me from when we first met. I want to talk with her and make sure she realizes that I'm not after her man. So, stop by The Silver Moon when you get a chance. I'm pretty much working there nightly, so you'll more than likely find me there."

"I understand," Darien replied. "And thanks. I know hearing this from you will make her feel better."

"Thank you for saying so," Raye said as Andrew returned with her order. "Thanks," she told him. "So tell me, Andrew, what's been going on with you these days? Heard from Rita lately? How's she doing anyway?"

"One question at a time, please!" Andrew laughed. "So, where do I begin...?"

The rest of the lunch hour went by quickly. Darien apologized for having to leave so soon, but promised to come back again soon. And with Serena, he amended for Andrew's sake, causing Raye to laugh and Darien to sigh.

* * *

To Chapter 42

* * *

Author's Note: Another long wait between chapters. This author begs forgiveness. Work has been relentless in sapping me of strength, as well as spirit. I haven't had the energy to write anything for a while. I've persevered, though, and I've finally written a new chapter for this story. I know I keep promising that I'll get this story finished soon, but at this rate, soon might be a year from now. sigh Anyway, I will finish Seeing Stars. I promise you that. Next chapter: Lunch with Serena and Mina; The struggle for the final Nijizuishou crystal; and Jack and Diane learn of Project: Total Eclipse. 

Disclaimer: All original materials belong to their respective owners. Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi and a bunch of big companies. No copyright infringement is intended. This story belongs to Moonsong and myself, and I would appreciate you emailing her or myself for permission before posting it anywhere else. Thank you.

Prologue Copyright © January 24, 2000 Moonsong.  
Other Chapters Copyright © August 12, 2000 Jason Ulloa.  
All Rights Reserved.


	43. Chapter 42

Seeing Stars  
By Jason Ulloa  
Original story by Moonsong  
Continued with her permission. 

Chapter 42

Leo's was a small, yet well-known restaurant. Well-known within the West Hollywood area, yet oddly enough, not quite as well-known in the Santa Monica area where the restaurant was actually located. Normally, one would think this to be a strange occurrence, and for most restaurants this would prompt the owner to pack up and move closer to their clientele. But unlike most restaurants, the owner of Leo's chose to remain where he was.

The reasoning behind this choice of action was quite simple. Leo's was built to cater to the people would wanted to get away from Hollywood, but wanted to be close enough to keep one foot in the door, as it were. Still, it was located in one of the busier areas of Santa Monica; the owner may have built Leo's with Hollywood clientele in mind, but he wasn't about to shun any local business, either. He was a businessman, after all.

As such, Leo's was considered a quasi-haven of sorts. Most of the diners from the high-profile acting community tended to arrange reservations with aliases as to keep the world at large from knowing that they were going to dine there. In fact, whenever a new employee is hired at Leo's, whether they are a server or a chef or even a dishwasher, they are all required to memorize a list of aliases for regular customers. In addition to this, a hot-list is posted in the employee's only section for last-minute additions or the sudden reservations of V.I.P.s.

It has often been said amongst the staff that working at Leo's is not for the weak of heart. This is especially true because the entire staff, with the exception of the servers, are forbidden from interacting with the customers, unless the customer approaches them first. Excitement over a celebrity dining at Leo's is greatly frowned upon.

It was for these reasons, Mina decided, that made Leo's the best place for high-profile actresses like Serena Moon to sit down and talk without being interrupted by her being Serena Moon. And besides, she loved the food there.

"You're serious?" she asked in surprise as she pulled into the parking lot and parked her car. "You've never been here before?"

Serena shook her head and shrugged. "Nope. Not once," she replied as she checked the cloth she wore over her hair. It was still arranged properly. She smiled in satisfaction as she put her sunglasses on.

"You're kidding!" Mina said as she put her car in park and turned off the engine. "I've heard from Darien that you've been going to The Crown often because you don't get bothered there. If that was the case, I'm surprised that you've never come here before. You could've gotten the same thing here."

"That's not exactly true, Mina," Serena said with a slight shake of her head as she got out of the car. "You've been to both places, right?"

Mina got out of the car and locked the doors. "Yeah, I have."

"Tell me, which place do you like better?" she inquired. "Leo's or The Crown?"

"I prefer The Crown, myself," she replied with a confused frown.

"Why?" Serena asked without looking over her shoulder.

Mina blinked, caught slightly off guard by the question. "Why?" she repeated as she thought about it. "Well, Andrew's a friend of mine, for one. And I like the food, too."

"Yeah, they do have good food there."

"And there's nothing like kicking the younger boys' collective ass at Virtua Racing!" she said, clenching her fists to her chest in sheer joy at the thought. "I once beat seven college guys all at the same time! In fact," she added, whispering almost conspiratorially, "I've even got a small following within the college gaming community."

Serena halted and stared at her in disbelief. "You're joking."

"Afraid not," Mina said as she stood proudly. "I am known throughout the halls of UCLA as 'The Goddess of Virtua Racing!' Challenge me at your own risk!"

"I think... I'll pass," Serena replied flatly.

"You're no fun," she said, slightly disappointed.

"At any rate, you obviously prefer The Crown over Leo's," Serena said as they continued on. "Most of the reasons you have for preferring The Crown are the same reasons why I've never come here. I've been told by my friends who've come here that it's great if you just want to be left alone."

"That's true," Mina agreed, nodding thoughtfully.

"They've also told me that the atmosphere has a certain coldness to it," she continued. "It's not as if they're trying to ignore you; it's that they're trying too hard to give us the peace and quiet they think we want. While some people may want that kind of quiet, it just doesn't feel right to me. Even if I want to be left alone, I don't feel right in an atmosphere that makes me feel ignored."

"I see your point," Mina said. "Still, it's not that bad. "The food's good, and it's a good place to go if you don't want to be bothered while you eat."

"I've heard," she told her. "Still, I'd rather go to The Crown. But, I'll give this place a try.

"So, who am I dining as?" she asked before they reached the front door.

"Ah! That's right!" Mina exclaimed, lightly slapping herself in the head. "I almost forgot!"

"What? Were you just going to say, 'Mina Blake and one guest?'" she said drolly. "So, what's my name, then?"

"Um..."

Serena frowned. "Don't tell me..."

"One moment please," she said as she dug into her purse and whipped out her cell phone.

"You forgot, didn't you?"

Mina grimaced apologetically as she turned away and covered the phone as if she were whispering into it. "Um, hi. My name's Mina Blake and I'm calling to confirm a lunch reservation for..." A slight pause. "Ah, yes. That's right. And the other's name?" Another pause. "Ah! Right! Thank you very much. No, that's all right. Yes, thank you. Goodbye."

"And?" Serena prompted, folding her arms underneath her breasts crossly.

The blonde agent had the decency to look embarrassed. "Your name will be Rena Sanders."

"Not much originality," she complained. "My first name is just a derivative of my real first name. And my last name's so... bland."

"Oh, quiet," Mina huffed. "I'm an agent, not a writer."

"You chose your profession well, then," Serena countered as she stepped inside.

"Hey!" Mina exclaimed, then started grumbling under her breath as she followed her inside.

"Miss Blake," the maître d' greeted as she entered the restaurant, "how nice to see you again. Is this a new client of yours?"

"Not as such, Ryan," she replied. "Just a friend of mine."

"I see," he said as he glanced down at the podium in front of him. "If you would come with me, please, I will show you to your table." With that, he took two menus from inside the podium and walked off with the two women following him.

"Here you go," he said as he reached a table next to the window. "Is this table to your linking, Miss Blake?"

"It's fine, Ryan. Thanks," she said as she sat down. "Right, Rena?"

"Same here."

"Very well," he replied as he handed them the menus. "Your server will be with you shortly. Have a pleasant day."

"Thanks, Ryan," Mina said as she opened her menu.

"You come here often?" Serena asked as she opened her menu as well.

"Not really," she replied. "I guess I'm just the unforgettable type," she added with a grin.

"No argument here."

"Ha ha. Funny," Mina muttered. "So, what looks good to you?"

"I don't know," she shrugged. "I think I'm in the mood for pasta. Maybe this shrimp penne dish."

Mina glanced over at the entree that Serena was pointing out. "Hmm... sounds good to me. I think I'll get it, too."

The server came over a few moments after the choices were made, then left just as quickly with their orders, but not before filling their glasses with ice water. A moment later, the server came back with their drinks and left just as quickly.

"Not much for words, hmm?" Serena commented after taking a sip of her beverage.

"Well, that's just the way things are here," Mina told her. "They're certainly efficient, though. You have to give them that."

"True enough," Serena admitted as she set down her glass. "Anyway, you said you wanted to talk to me about something?"

Mina blinked. "Straight to the point, is it?" she said with a small sigh.

"It's not a bad way of starting off a conversation."

"True, but I was hoping to ease my way into this," Mina replied. "This isn't an easy thing for me to talk about."

Serena frowned slightly. "It's about Darien, isn't it? Didn't we already have this conversation?"

"Well, yeah," Mina admitted. "Part of it, at least. But after some thought, I realized that there's some things that I think you should know about if you two are going to stay together.

"He hasn't really talked much about his previous relationship with Raye, has he?" she asked.

Serena thought back through all the times Darien told her about his past relationship with Raye and realized that he had only spoken about her twice, and both times because she asked.

"No, he hasn't," she admitted quietly.

"Don't get him wrong, Serena," Mina said consolingly. "It's not because he's trying to hide anything. It's just that he doesn't want to remember what he went through. I'm sure you feel the same way about Seiya."

"No, I'm sure I feel much, much worse about that bastard," she growled as she took a quick swig from her water glass and set the glass down hard enough to make the ice cubes clink audibly.

"Well, be that as it may, there are some things about their old relationship that I think you should know about," Mina continued. "I know you might think that this is probably none of my business, but Darien's one of my best friends. I've known him for a long time, ever since he first started working in the business. He's like a brother to me."

"All right, all right, I get it," Serena replied, waving her hand dismissively. "So tell me already. However, if this is about how he lost his virginity to her, I don't want to hear it. He already told me that she was his first."

Mina blinked, then sighed in relief. "Okay, so that's one thing I don't have to worry about."

"In fact," Serena continued. "I don't really want to know about Darien's past with his ex. That's all in the past. I want to forget about my past with Seiya and I'm sure he'd probably want to do the same with her." She tilted her head thoughtfully. "Well, probably not entirely, but certainly the bad parts.

"I appreciate what you want to do, Mina," she added as she reached across the table and covered one of the agent's hands with hers, "but, if there's anything Darien and I need to know about each other, we'll talk it out between us."

Mina nodded understandingly and smiled. "I guess that makes things easier for me, then. I really wasn't looking forward to talking about things like this."

"Well, how about we talk about something else, instead?" Serena suggested as the server returned with their orders. "Like how you and Darien met, for instance."

"Us?" she repeated as she unrolled the napkin around her utensils and set it in her lap. "Well, it's kind of a funny story, really."

"Oh?" Serena said, her interest piqued. "Well, I love a good laugh like anybody else. Let's hear it."

"All right, then," she said as she leaned back in her seat. "I haven't been an agent for very long; about seven years now, I think it's been. Anyway, for the first year I had a bad streak of luck with the few clients I had. I could only land small parts and extra work, but nothing really big. I lost a lot of business when they decided to change agents or sign with agencies, but I persevered.

"At any rate, fast forward a year. Most of my clients are gone and I'm struggling to stay in business. Understandably, I'm kinda depressed and having a really bad day when I decide to close up early and go home. So, I'm not paying much attention as I leave my office, get into my car, and hit someone as I leave the parking lot." Mina grimaced slightly. "And the worst thing is that not only was the guy in plain sight when I hit him, I was only traveling at about 5mph when I hit him."

"Wow," Serena said, slightly impressed. "Talk about having a 'blonde moment' times two."

"Oh, shut up," Mina grumbled. "Anyway, I stop the car and get out to see if the guy's all right. The guy's fine and, thankfully, isn't mad about getting hit. He said that he would've been watching where he was going, but he was too preoccupied with seeing this agent that his friend suggested to him. And that's when I tell the guy that I'm the agent he's looking for and I invite him out for something to eat as an apology for hitting him with the car. One dinner later, Darien becomes my client and the rest is history."

"So, let me get this straight," Serena said as she tried to keep in her laughter. "You and Darien meet by you hitting him with your car?"

"That's pretty much the gist of it," she admitted.

"You gotta be kidding me!" she said as she bursted out laughing.

"Afraid not," Mina said with a slight laugh. "Just ask Darien. He still teases me about it from time to time. One time, as I was getting into my car, he dived out of my car's way just as I started the car and ducked behind another car, then waved goodbye as I left."

Serena cracked up laughing all over again. "I can just imagine," she said as soon as she regained control over herself. "So, vehicular hijinks aside, tell me about Darien when he started out."

"There's really not much to talk about," Mina replied with a shrug. "I mean, he was an actor, plain and simple. He was just better than most actors that I've ever worked with. I've had clients come and go, but he's the one who's been with me the longest. And he's pretty much the same then as he is now, just more successful," she added with a smirk.

"Making you more successful in the process?" she quipped.

Mina merely shrugged and grinned enigmatically as she dug into her food.

* * *

Midnight. 

Diane sat up and lightly shook Jack's shoulder. "Honey, time to get up," she whispered in his ear.

"Mmm... just five more minutes," he mumbled.

"Come on, Jack," she continued as she lightly blew in his ear.

"Hey, cut it out!" he said as he batted at his ear.

"So, you're awake now?" she asked pleasantly.

"Yeah, yeah...," he grumbled as he looked down at the clock on the car's dashboard. "So, it's time. Ready to go?"

"Ready."

"All right," he said as they got out of the car. Diane grabbed their backpacks and handed Jack his before slipping hers on. "Let's go."

* * *

Midnight. 

Jed smirked as he strode across the museum's rooftop. This was the last one. The last Nijizuishou crystal. Once this crystal was in his hands, his job would be over. There were still those loose ends that he had to tie up - namely those kids and those two that were after him - but once this job was over he could concentrate on those problems.

There weren't any openings in the ceiling like in Tokyo, so he had to rely on the ventilation system much like he did in Madrid. In a way, it was like coming full circle.

He had gone over the museum's vent system earlier that day, so he knew which opening to open and which turns to take. As he approached the target vent opening, he reached into one of his belt pouches and brought out a mini-screwdriver. A few moments later, the vent covering was off and he was in. The covering was set to the side along with the screws so as not to be too obvious, even though anyone could spot the open vent should they come up to the roof. It was fortunate that the security guards didn't check the roof.

* * *

Minutes later, Jack climbed over the top of the ladder to the roof and glanced around. Seeing no one, he waved down to Diane, who climbed up after him. "I don't think he's here, yet," he said as he looked over the rooftop for a good entry point. 

"So, how do you think we should get in?" Diane inquired. "Personally, I think we should use the vents."

Jack nodded. "Too much surveillance. The guards are going to be the hardest part of this."

"Fortunately, there's only going to be three guards," she added. "Two roaming and one in the security room, monitoring." A pause. "Hey, Jack! Come look at this!"

"What?" he said as he jogged over to where Diane stopped. "An open vent?"

"He's here," she growled under her breath. She ran over to the vent and started crawling in head-first.

"Careful, Diane," he warned as he waited for her to finish crawling in. "Don't lose your cool. We can't let either of them hear us, or it's all over."

"I know!" she hissed as she slid into the vent. "We're here to stop this guy and that's exactly what we're gonna do. So, hurry up and get in here!"

"Coming, coming...," he grumbled as he climbed in as well.

* * *

Upon reaching the room that housed the Violet Nijizuishou crystal, Jed carefully gazed out through the vent opening, looking for any security cameras. There was one across the room, slowly panning back and forth across the room. 

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small chaff grenade. He had this grenade specially made for smaller rooms, where he needed as small an explosion as possible without losing the electronic scrambling effects from the metal shrapnel. However, it would still make a relatively loud explosion. He had to time the explosion to when there would be no one around to hear it.

Thirty more seconds. If the guards were following the same patterns that he observed before the nearest guard should be out of hearing range within that time.

Now.

The grenade was tossed and the sound of a small explosion filled the room. For fifteen seconds, this room was blind to electronic surveillance.

Jed quickly knocked the vent cover off and pushed himself out of the vent. Once he hit the ground, he rolled to his feet and dashed over to the other side, pulling out a small transmitter similar to the one he used in Madrid and leapt up, slamming the transmitter onto the wall underneath the camera. Once the device was pressed against the wall, it activated, just as the metal shrapnel settled onto the ground.

One defense down, one more the go.

* * *

"Did you hear that?" Jack asked as he reached an opening in the ventilation shaft. 

"Sounded like something exploded," Diane frowned. "Check outside. See where we are."

Jack glanced out through the vent cover. "I recognize this place. We're in the hallway outside the room with the crystal. There aren't any cameras in here."

"Let's get out here," she suggested. "We're close enough."

"All right," he agreed as he brought out a small screwdriver and unscrewed the vent cover. Once the cover was off, he pulled it into the shaft with them. "Hand me your mirror," he said as he reached back. Diane handed him a small pocket mirror, which he slowly lowered outside of the vent. "It's safe," he reported and handed her back the mirror and lowed himself out of the vent, hanging from the opening for only a moment before dropping onto the floor. Diane came out behind him and dropped down into his arms.

"Thanks," Diane said as Jack set her down on her feet. "Now, come on. We don't have much time."

* * *

The last time he defeated an infrared alarm system was with an array mirrors he had hidden away on him. For this job, he had to modify them, since the beams were much closer than before. He had tripled the number of mirrors and arranged them in a manner so that he could reach through the tight cluster of infrared beams. 

It wasn't long before he had the mirror array unfolded and slid into place. The beams bounced off of the mirrors and into the receptors at the other end without tripping the alarms. There was now a space wide enough for his hand to fit through.

"Excellent...," Jed murmured to himself as he reached in and grabbed the Violet Nijizuishou crystal.

"Hey!"

Jed whirled around with the crystal in hand and glared at the intruder. "You again...," he snarled.

"You aren't going anywhere with that," Diane said as she strode toward him with Jack right behind her.

Jed's snarl slowly twisted into a smirk. "You think so?" he asked. "Well... we'll see." with one smooth movement, he flung his arm into the infrared beams, setting off the alams.

"What the hell?" Jack exclaimed.

"Try not to get caught," Jed said as he darted around the pair and started running.

"Hey!" Diane shouted as she and Jack chased after him. "Damn! Of all the times to leave my gun behind!"

As Jed led the two through the museum, he quickly knocked down whatever wasn't bolted to the wall into their path; statues, sculptures, anything that would slow them down. However, Jack and Diane easily evaded or leapt over whatever fell in their way.

As they neared the entrance, two of the three guards stood between them and the way out, guns drawn. "Freeze!" Jed skidded to a stop and dived into the next room with Jack and Diane close behind him. "After them," one guard shouted to the other as they gave chase.

"Hey, having fun yet?" Jed taunted as he grabbed a painting off the wall without stopping.

"I said, freeze!" the first guard shouted as he shot through the doorway with his partner and aimed their guns at them. Jed responded by flinging the painting at the pair, which forced them to move out of the way long enough for Jed to dive past them and continue running.

"Hold it!" the guard warned as he recovered, but was knocked into his partner as Jack shoved him out of the way, giving him and Diane the opportunity to continue chasing after Jed.

"Looks like I win again," Jed shouted as he hurried through the museum doors and started to close them behind him.

"Not quite!" Diane retorted as she grabbed a grappling hook from Jack's pack and flung it at Jed. The hook smashed through the glass doors, forcing Jed to dive out of the way before the hook hit him in the head.

Just as Jed was getting to his feet, Jack leapt through the broken door and tackled him, sending both of them tumbling down the small set of stone steps leading to the museum's entrance. "Don't let him get away, Jack!" Diane shouted as she jumped through the shattered door as well.

Down at the bottom of the steps, Jed had kicked Jack off of him and was trying to fight him off as he retreated toward where he had parked his car. As he ducked a punch that was aimed for his head, he quickly swept Jack's legs and dove toward his car, thankful that he had a convertable, the top was down and he had a gun hidden in the passenger seat.

"Hold it," he warned as he straightened up and pointed the gun at Jack's head. "You, too," he added as he pointed it at Diane momentarily before pointing it back at Jack.

"You can't hold us off forever," Diane said as she took a step forward. "The cops are on their way here. I doubt you'll be able to get away in time."

"True, but you've got more pressing matters to attend to," he retorted.

"What more pressing matters?"

"This," he replied as he shot Jack in the leg.

"Jack!" Diane screamed as Jack fell on his side, clenching his leg in pain.

"Be grateful that I don't have the time to kill you now," Jed said as he hopped into his car and started it. "But don't worry. We'll meet again. I still have unfinished business with you." With that, Jed drove off just before the sounds of police sirens slowly filled the air.

"And I with you," Diane growled before kneeling beside Jack and checking his leg. "Looks like the wound is a little deep, but not too bad," she said in relief.

"Just give me a little bit and I'll be fine," he said as he sat up. "Too bad that bastard got away."

"I know," Diane sighed as she sat down next to him. "We almost had him!"

"It's not over yet," Jack said as he put an arm around her shoulder. "We'll find him."

"Yeah," she said, nodding ruefully. "I just wish I had an idea of where to go from here."

* * *

To Chapter 43

* * *

Author's Note: Finally, another chapter has been completed! Hooray! Sorry for the long delay, but I'm in the middle of moving from Washington back down to San Diego. I'm off my ship and I'm on shore duty now, so I don't have to worry about going underway anymore. More time for working on my stories. Anyway, I'm growing ever closer to the end of this story so bear with me. Next chapter: The return to L.A.; Tira is released from the hospital; and Jack and Diane learn of Project: Total Eclipse. 

Disclaimer: All original materials belong to their respective owners. Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi and a bunch of big companies. No copyright infringement is intended. This story belongs to Moonsong and myself, and I would appreciate you emailing her or myself for permission before posting it anywhere else. Thank you.

Prologue Copyright © January 24, 2000 Moonsong.  
Other Chapters Copyright © August 12, 2000 Jason Ulloa.  
All Rights Reserved.


	44. Chapter 43

Seeing Stars  
By Jason Ulloa  
Original story by Moonsong  
Continued with her permission.

Chapter 43

As Jack was taken to the hospital for his leg wound, Diane explained to the Sydney police their side of the story. It had taken showing her badge and a call to Artie - who wasn't very happy to hear most of the details, but thankfully held off judgement until after she was cleared - to get her and Jack off the hook. She gave the police a detailed description of the man they were after and asked them to watch for him, should he try to leave the city, let alone the country. Afterward, she was fortunate enough to have one of the officers offer to take her to the hospital where Jack was being treated.

Upon arriving at the hospital, she had learned that Jack had only a minor gunshot wound. Fortunately for him, the bullet didn't hit anything important and had gone clean through his leg, contrary to what she had observed before. She grimaced to herself in retrospect; it wasn't like her to miss something like that. Being an FBI agent, she had seen more than her fair share of gunshot wounds, some of which being her own personal experience. In the end, she just chalked it up to being overly-anxious over seeing Jack get shot, even if it was just in the leg.

"Miss Silver?" a nurse said as she met her in the waiting room. "You're here for Mr. Terrance?"

"Yes," she nodded, standing up.

"Follow me, please," she said and led Diane outside to where another nurse was waiting with Jack sitting in a wheelchair.

"He's ready to be checked out," the first nurse stated as she took over the wheelchair from the other nurse. "If you'd just follow me, we'll have him ready to go in just a moment."

"Thanks," Diane said as she followed close behind. "So, how's your leg, Jack?"

"Doesn't hurt as bad as before," he replied. "The doctor says that the leg'll be fine and that as long as I don't put too much stress on the leg, I won't have to use crutches. Just a cane for a couple of days." He gave a small snort of a laugh. "I guess I got lucky there."

Diane nodded but said nothing as the group continued on.

* * *

"Diane, I want to know what in God's name were you thinking!" Artemis growled over the phone. "What the hell were you doing, breaking and entering into a MUSEUM, of all things? Have you lost your mind?"

"I'm sorry, Artie...," Diane answered penitently on the other end.

"Sorry?" he retorted as he leapt up from his seat in the Tomoe mansion living room and began to irritably pace back and forth. "Do you realize the amount of trouble you are in right now? By all rights, I could have your badge for this!"

"I know, Artie, but I seriously thought that I had to do it that way," she explained. "That man had slipped through my fingers before and I didn't want to lose him again." She sighed heavily. "But, even though we almost had him, that bastard still managed to get away."

"I had a heck of a time explaining things to the Sydney police department," he continued after calming down a bit. "I had to tell them that you were on assignment there to catch that kidnapper/thief and that your detective associate was your partner for this case. So you're both off the hook, as far as the Sydney police is concerned."

"Thanks, Artie. You're a lifesaver."

"I lied and gave false information to cover your ass, Diane," he said flatly. "You owe me. You owe me real big."

She sighed heavily again. "I know, Artie," she replied in a calm, serious tone. "You've done so much for me already; more than I have any right to deserve. I swear to you that I won't let your trust in me be misplaced. Jack and I will bring this guy in and save Hotaru and Ryoku. I promise."

Artemis went silent for a moment, considering something. "Diane, let me ask you something. This detective associate of yours - Jack, was it? - why is he helping you? He's based in L.A., isn't he? Sydney's quite a bit out of his way, just to help a client."

"If you're asking me if I'm paying him extra to help me; no, Artie, I'm not," she replied, not questioning the sudden change in topic. "In fact, we've already finished up our contact and I've already paid him. He's helping me on his own."

Artemis frowned, confused. "Why?"

"It's very complicated," she told him. "I'll tell you about it when I come back with Hotaru and Ryoku."

This time, it was Artemis' turn to sigh. "Fine. You seem to trust him, so I'll leave it at that."

"Aw, you sound like a father who's worried about the guy his daughter's dating," Diane teased. "Don't worry, Daddy, we promise we won't stay out too late."

"Why do I even bother?" he groaned quietly to himself in exasperation.

"Because you love me?"

"Shut up, Diane."

"Artie?" she asked suddenly, her tone subtly subdued. "Why are you suddenly so curious about Jack, all of a sudden? This wasn't the first time I've mentioned him."

"This is the first time you've told me his name."

There was a short silence followed by a small laugh. "I guess I haven't at that. Anyway, you don't have to worry about us. We'll take care of things on this end."

"All right, then," he agreed as he sat back down in the recliner he had been sitting in when Diane had called. "I'll leave it with you. Just be careful and don't do anything too rash or reckless next time or I really will have your badge."

"Yes, Daddy," Diane replied with a sigh. "I'll try and be a good girl. Bye, Artie." With that, she hung up.

Artemis leaned back in his chair and sighed tiredly. "One of these days, I'm going to have to hammer the meaning of the word 'professional' into her head," he muttered to himself as he picked up the book he had been reading earlier.

* * *

"Ugh...," Diane sighed as she hung up the phone and plopped backward on the hotel bed. "Artie was really pissed off at me. That was the closest I've ever come to actually getting fired."

"You've gotten close before?" Jack asked, laying beside her on the other side of the bed.

"Once or twice," she admitted. "It wasn't as bad as this, though." She rolled over to look directly into his face. "So, let's think. What now? Where do we go from here?"

"Let's start with what we know," Jack suggested. "Right now, our man's got all seven Nijizuishou crystals."

"He's also kidnapped Hotaru Tomoe and Ryoku Kino from the Tomoe manor, where the Orange Nijizuishou was kept," Diane added. "Somehow, the seven Nijizuishou crystals are central to all of this mess."

"There's also this 'Project: Ginzuishou' that Christy told us about," Jack added. "According to what Tira found out from Stanton Aeronautical, they've got plans to make this synthetic crystal from the seven Nijizuishou crystals."

"Stanton Aeronautical, huh?" Diane said with a frown.

"Maybe we should let your boss know about them?"

"Yeah, but even if we tell him about it, there's not much he can do as long as Hotaru and Ryoku are still in danger," she countered with a frustrated grimace. "Besides, we don't even know if the people at Stanton Aeronautical know about the kidnapping. We're not even completely sure that our man's being employed by Stanton Aeronautical, even if they're both after the same thing."

"Still, this's the only connection we have with our man," he said as he stared up at the ceiling and folded his arms across his chest. "We've got to follow the crystals. Maybe we should contact Christy and see if she or Tira's found anything else about that Project: Ginzuishou thing. Not to mention this Project: Total Eclipse that she also mentioned."

Diane sat up and pushed herself off the bed. "I'm going to go see about getting some plane tickets back to L.A. If we're lucky, we can get back in time for you to bring Tira out of the hospital tomorrow. We can talk with Tira AND Christy then."

"So, what are we going to do between that and catching our flight?" Jack inquired with a grin.

She turned back toward Jack and smiled seductively as she lightly traced her fingernail across his cheek. "You can pack our bags," she told him in a deep, sexy voice.

"What?" he said as his grin vanished, quickly replaced with a disappointed expression.

"Now, now," she said as she patted his cheek and moved away, heading for the door. "Don't pout. There'll be plenty of time for that later. Right now, we've still got work to do."

As Diane left the door, closing the door behind her, Jack went back to staring at the ceiling again. "What am I? Your butler?"

* * *

Christy sat in the waiting area outside Gate 29B, watching as the jet slowly taxied to the gate. "Looks like they're finally here," she mentioned to the young girl sitting next to her.

"About time!" Tira complained as she stood up and walked over to the window. "I wonder if they can see us from the plane," she said as she waved at the plane.

"Probably not," she replied with a shrug. "We don't even know if they've got window seats or are even on that side of the plane."

Tira stopped waving, but didn't stop watching the plane. "Eh," she shrugged as she held her arms behind her back. "Can I help it if I'm glad to see them again?" Christy smirked, but said nothing.

"Flight 1265 from Sydney, Australia is now arriving at Gate 29B," a voice announced over the PA system as the jet finally docked with the terminal.

"Come on! Come on!" Tira said excitedly as she grabbed Christy's arm and yanked her out of her seat. "Let's go!"

"H-hey!" the policewoman protested. "Easy, Ti! They'll get here when they get here."

"Fine," she replied as she dropped her hand and darted off toward the gate. "You can wait there, but I don't wanna wait!" she said over her shoulder.

"Hmph," Christy snorted in amusement. "It hasn't been THAT long. Ah, well. Guess I can't blame her for wanting to see her 'daddy.'"

Once the doors opened and people started exiting the gate, she stood up and started making her way to where Tira was hopping up and down, looking for Jack and Diane.

"Hey!" Tira shouted as she waved and started pushing through the small crowd. "Excuse me! Pardon me!"

"Tira!" Diane called out as she and Jack made their way through the crowd and embraced the excited girl.

"I missed you guys!" Tira said as she flung one arm around Jack's neck and the other around Diane's.

"It was only a couple of days, Ti," Jack said, rolling his eyes slightly. "You don't have to make such a big deal about it."

"So, daddy," Tira said sweetly, adding extra emphasis to the word 'daddy,' "what did you and Diane bring me?"

"Huh?" both Jack and Diane said, blinking cluelessly.

Tira's expression dropped. "Oh, don't tell me you forgot to get me any souvenirs!"

Jack smirked. "Just kidding, Ti. They're in our luggage."

She gave him a flat look. "I hate you, Jack. Is this any way to treat someone who just got out of the hospital?"

His expression turned serious. "How are your injuries, Ti? Shouldn't you be taking it easy or-"

"Don't worry so damn much," Tira said dismissively. "I'm fine! Really!"

"Are you sure?" Diane asked, concerned as well. "Gunshot wounds aren't just something you can shrug off like a papercut."

"Relax, you two," Tira said calmly. "I'm fine. The doctor said that as long as I don't do anything too strenuous or exerting, I should be fine. I just have to take it easy for a little while."

"Then, what's with all that jumping around you were doing?" she said, gesturing over to where Tira had been hopping up and down a short while ago.

"Can't I be happy to see you, Diane?" she huffed irritably.

"Oh, forget it," Diane laughed as she hugged the girl. "I'm glad to see you, too, Ti."

"Christy," Jack said as he motioned for the others to follow him, "have you or Ti found out anything about those two Projects yet? Ginzuishou and Total Eclipse?"

The policewoman paused in midstep for a brief moment. "We can't talk about it here," she said quietly as she stared straight ahead.

Diane looked at Christy and frowned. "Why?"

"You'll find out when we get to the car."

* * *

After picking up Jack and Diane's luggage and loading them into Christy's car, the atmosphere between the four of them became heavy with silence. The radio was on, but no one seemed to be paying attention to the music. The silence remained until the car finally left LAX and merged onto the freeway.

"All right," Christy said finally, breaking the silence. "This's gonna sound crazy, but everything I'm about to tell you, I've verified with my contact, so this's on the level."

"Your contact...," Jack interjected. "Shingo? That guy you told us about?"

"Yes," she confirmed with a short nod. "As you know, Project: Ginzuishou and Project: Total Eclipse are both projects that belong to Stanton Aeronautical. We already know about 'Ginzuishou'; a project designed to create an artifical crystal using the seven Nijizuishou crystals and seven satellites, each one containing one of the Nijizuishou crystals. According to one report, five of the seven crystals are already up in space."

"So, that confirms it," Diane said, nodding to herself.

"Confirms what?"

"That guy we were after was working for Stanton Aeronautical," Jack told her. "He was the one responsible for stealing the Nijizuishou crystals."

Christy nodded. "I had a feeling that would be the case," she muttered. "Anyway, according to Shingo's report on 'Total Eclipse,' of the seven satellites that will be used for the creation of the synthetic crystal, 'Ginzuishou', six of them will carry UHF frequency jammers. These jammers are designed to be able to block all UHF frequencies within a 3,000 mile radius, and are spaced in such a manner that each of the satellites' footprints will cover the entire Earth."

There was a long silence following that last revelation. "My God," Diane whispered. "I can hardly imagine the damage that could inflict on this country. Not to mention the rest of the world."

"Why would they want to kill all satellite communications, including their own?" Jack inquired, confused. "I'm sure there's something else we're missing. Is there anything else, Christy?"

"The satellites are designed to drop their jamming for a short period of time," she continued, "long enough to allow a short transmission on a specific frequency through. Probably for maintenance purposes or something like that. Anyway, once the transmission is finished, the jamming goes back up.

"Shingo also told me about some of the details of the seventh satellite that Stanton Aeronautical was still working on. The seventh satellite will not have a UHF jammer installed and will be kept in a geostationary orbit over some point in the Mojave Desert."

"The Mojave Desert?" Diane repeated. "Why there?"

"I don't know. We haven't figured that out yet."

"Well, either way, right now I'm more concerned about finding Hotaru and Ryoku," she said. "Since that guy we've been chasing is definitely working for Stanton Aeronautical, I'm going to go pay Mr. Stanton a visit. Christy, can you take us to Stanton Aeronautical?"

"What?" she exclaimed, glancing at her over her shoulder in surprise for a moment, before turning her eyes back to the road again. "Right now?"

"Now is as good a time as any."

"Christy, could you please take us to Stanton Aeronautical?" Jack requested calmly.

"You, too, Jack?"

"Please, Christy?" he continued. "This is very important."

The policewoman sighed heavily. "All right, but I'm putting this on your tab, Jack. Double rate; two-for-one."

Jack nodded, then grimaced. "That's not fair, you know."

"I know," she agreed.

"At any rate, while we're taking care of this, I'm going to need your help, Ti."

Tira looked up, almost surprised to be included in the conversation. "Huh?"

"Ti, I'm going to need you and Christy to find out as much as you can about this seventh satellite, why it's staying put over a certain spot in the Mojave, and where this spot is," he requested. "I have a feeling something might be there. I want to know what it is."

The young girl grinned mischievously. "You got it, Jack. I'll get you that info by suppertime."

"Okay," Diane said, glancing from one person to the next until finally resting her gaze on Jack. "We all know what we've got to do, right?" The others nodded. "Good. I'll be counting on all of you."

* * *

"Here we are," Christy said as she parked just outside the Stanton Aeronautical Engineering, Inc. building. "Are you sure you don't need any help, Diane?"

"We'll be fine," Diane replied easily. "It's not like we're storming the headquarters of some secret terrorist organization or something. This is just a corporate research and development building. Besides, I just want to speak with Mr. Stanton and find out what he knows."

"We'll be discreet," Jack added.

"All right, but don't hesitate to call if you need help, okay?" Christy insisted.

"Got it," he replied with a nod as he shut his door.

"See ya later, Jack!" Tira called out from her open window as the car drove off. "Good luck!"

"Ready?" Diane asked Jack as she reached underneath her shirt and checked the gun sitting in its holster. It was clear.

"Ready," he replied with a nod, wishing that he had his gun with him as well. Not that he was planning on using it, but considering the situation they were in, he would've felt better having some sort of protection.

"Then, let's go."

As the pair approached the gate, Diane waved toward one of the guards, gesturing for one of them to speak with her. "Excuse me, but do you know if Mr. Stanton is currently in the building?" she asked.

"May I ask what your business is here?" the guard inquired.

"We need to speak with him concerning a former employee of his," Jack told him. "One Miss Regina Juléi. We have some information concerning a certain item of his that we believe he would want to know about."

"And, may I ask, who you are?" he inquired further.

"I'm Jack Terrance, a private investigator," Jack stated, presenting his Private Investigator identification card.

"I'm his partner," she stated with a slight nod of her head toward Jack. "Melissa Jameson."

The guard glanced back toward the other guard, who shrugged and nodded toward the guardhouse. "Wait right here, please," he requested as he returned to the small structure and picked up the phone.

"Melissa Jameson?" Jack asked under his breath without moving his lips.

"Did you forget?" she replied without moving her lips as well. "Diane Silver, the FBI agent, can't be connected in any way to Hotaru and Ryoku's kidnapping case. Not only will I get in trouble, but that'd put them in danger as well."

"But Melissa Jameson, P.I., doesn't have that restriction," he finished. "Got it."

"You can go ahead," the first guard said as he hung up the phone. "But, I'll need you to fill out our visitor log first."

"No problem," Jack said as he approached the guardhouse, followed closely by Diane.

"Here," the guard said after they filled out the log. In his hand were a pair of visitor badges. "I'll need you to wear these at all times while you're in the building."

"Thanks," he said as accepted the badges.

"Yours is number 153," the guard told him. "Miss Jameson's is number 154."

"Got it."

The guard nodded and went back to his post, leaving Jack and Diane to themselves.

"Well, that was easy enough," Diane mused to herself. "I was half afraid that they wouldn't let us in at all."

"I was half afraid that they'd draw their guns on us," Jack added as he opened the glass double doors that made up the entrance to Stanton Aeronautical.

"What makes you think that?" she asked as they entered the building.

"Can I help you?" the receptionist at the front desk inquired as they stepped through the door.

"I'm here to see Mr. Stanton regarding a former employee of his," Jack told her.

"Do you have an appointment?"

"No, but I do have some information that he will want to know about," he countered.

The receptionist eyed him indifferently for a moment. "Your name, sir?" she requested offhandedly.

"Jack Terrence," he stated as he brought out his ID again. "Private investigator."

"Please wait a moment," she said as she picked up a phone and pressed a button on the receiver. "Mr. Stanton, I have someone here to see you. He's a private investigator. Jack Terrance. He says he wants to speak to you regarding a former employee."

"Regina Juléi," Jack added quickly.

"Regina Juléi," the receptionist relayed. "Yes, sir. Understood." She hung up and turned to regard Jack and Diane. "Please wait here. Someone will come to escort you momentarily."

"Thank you," he said, but she had already turned back to what she was doing.

"Well, isn't she the most pleasant person," Diane mentioned aside to Jack as they moved away from the receptionist's desk.

"We can't all be as charismatic as you, Diane," he replied with a small grin. Diane answered with a gentle elbow in the side.

"Flirt," she said, then glanced around. "By the way, that name, Regina Juléi, wasn't that the woman you said you were trailing before she was murdered?"

"Yeah, she worked here as a secretary to Mr. Stanton, himself. From what I can gather, she was the one that stole the Yellow Nijizuishou crystal from here before our man stole it from her."

"Excuse me, Mr. Terrance?" a woman called out as she approached.

"Yes, that's me," Jack replied.

"I'm Mr. Stanton's secretary, Victoria Madison," the woman said as she nodded her head in greeting. "I will be escorting you to Mr. Stanton's office."

"All right. Lead the way."

Victoria glanced briefly at Diane before turning away. "Follow me, please."

Jack and Diane exchanged confused glances. Jack shrugged before following after the secretary, with Diane following close behind. Victoria lead them to a nearby elevator and pressed the button. The elevator to the right promptly opened up. She stepped inside without a word and stood with her arms folded beneath her breasts, waiting. Jack and Diane exchanged glances again, then stepped onboard the elevator. After the doors closed, she took out a card and inserted it into a slot above the floor buttons. Once she removed the card, the elevator began to move.

"I thought there'd be only one person coming to see Mr. Stanton," Victoria said, breaking the silence. "Please excuse me for asking, but who are you and what are you doing here?"

"Melissa Jameson," Diane replied flatly. "I'm his partner."

"I see," she nodded. "That's all I wanted to know. Mr. Stanton doesn't like surprises, so I would've preferred that Marcy let me know that I would be escorting two people to see Mr. Stanton, so I could relay it to him." She sighed to herself. "It's not the first time this's happened, either," she muttered under her breath.

Diane rolled her eyes toward Jack, while he fought the urge to smirk in amusement.

The elevator dinged once and the doors opened to a wide office area. The carpet was a rich forest green with a lighter green path that went straight from the elevator doors to the wide double door entrance to what the pair could only assume to be office belonging to the president of Stanton Aeronautical. Many works of art lined the walls, while exotic potted plants sat in the corners of the room. Along one side of the room, the wall consisted entirely of window glass, separated by panes that stretched from ceiling to floor spaced about 25 feet apart. Since the office was situated on the top floor - the 20th floor - the view was simply marvelous.

Sitting alongside the path leading to the presidential office was a large office desk. Compared to the desk's surroundings, the desk was very simple. There was a pair of dividers sitting near one corner of the desk - one marked "In" and the other marked "Out." Next to them was a flat screen monitor with wires leading down through a small hole through the desk. A small stack of papers sat on top of a flat desk calendar, which was covered in small notes and reminders. At the right edge of the desk sat a small intercom box.

Victoria led the pair to her desk and gestured for them to have a seat in the small dark blue couch that sat opposite of her desk. As they sat down, she went back to her seat behind her desk and depressed one of the switches on the intercom. "Mr. Stanton, Mr. Terrance and his partner, Miss Jameson, are here to see you."

There was an audible click. "Very well. Send them in."

She pressed the switch again. "Yes, sir." She then turned to Jack and Diane. "Mr. Stanton will see you now."

"Thank you," Jack said as he and Diane headed for the president's office.

* * *

"All right, people! That'll do it for today!" Amy called out. "See you all tomorrow!"

"Serena!" Darien called out as he waved her over.

"Yeah? What is it, Darien?" she inquired as she made her way over.

"You feel like going back to that nightclub of yours?"

Serena raised an eyebrow and smirked at him. "Oh? Asking me out on a date, are you?" She leaned up against him and gave him a hungry look. "When are we going, baby?"

Darien's mind stopped working for a moment. "Um... How about tonight?" Fortunately, his brain rebooted quickly.

"Hmm... spontaneous," she remarked as she stood back up and caressed his cheek with her hand. "I like it."

"Get a room!" Tanya, Lita and Jason shouted from across the studio amidst cheers and heckling. Serena calmly flipped them all the bird.

"As I was saying before the peanut gallery chimed in with their two cents, it sounds like a wonderful idea," Serena said happily. "Pick me up at eight."

"Yes, ma'am," Darien replied with a grin.

* * *

Outside the studio, Darien sat in his car, thinking.

Would Raye be at the Silver Moon tonight? What would Serena say - or do - if she was? Would Serena wonder if he already knew Raye would be there? Should he tell her about it before they went there?

At that thought, he frowned. He wasn't sure she would take it the right way if she knew he already knew Raye was working there. She might even wonder if her being there was the reason that he wanted to go. And things would only get worse from there.

Still, he wanted to go there with Serena. He wanted to help patch things up between Raye, his friend, and Serena, his love. Even if their relationship was over, Raye was still a good friend. Before landing his role as Jack Terrance, good friends were something he didn't have a lot of. Even though she had hurt him bad when she left him, he was willing to give her a second chance as a friend. He only hoped that Serena would give her a chance as well.

But still, the question remained. Should he tell her, or not? If he told her, then she might get upset and possibly refuse to go. If he stayed silent, there was a chance that he could act he didn't know Raye was working there and pretend it was all a coincidence.

It could work.

Only Serena wasn't an idiot. She could easily figure it out if she wanted to.

Still, if he didn't screw up, and he could get Raye to play along, it was still possible to convince Serena that he didn't know Raye was working there.

But, lying to Serena...

"Maybe I should've offered to take her somewhere else, instead," he muttered to himself with a sigh.

* * *

To Chapter 44

* * *

Author's Note: It's been almost half a year since the last chapter of this story. I'm so sorry that I've neglected this story for so long, but I've been so busy with everything else, that I've almost forgotten about finishing it. However, I'm too close to the end to let this story go without finishing it. I won't stop until I reach the end. That I promise you. Next chapter: The meeting of Serena and Raye at the Silver Moon; Jack and Diane meet with Maxfield Stanton; and Tira and Christy make a startling discovery.

Disclaimer: All original materials belong to their respective owners. Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi and a bunch of big companies. No copyright infringement is intended. This story belongs to Moonsong and myself, and I would appreciate you emailing her or myself for permission before posting it anywhere else. Thank you.

Prologue Copyright © January 24, 2000 Moonsong.  
Other Chapters Copyright © August 12, 2000 Jason Ulloa.  
All Rights Reserved.


	45. Chapter 44

Seeing Stars  
By Jason Ulloa  
Original story by Moonsong  
Continued with her permission.

Chapter 44

Darien mentally sighed as he parked his car in front of The Silver Moon and made his way to the other side to open the door for Serena. The drive from Serena's place to the nightclub was quiet; it was a cloudless night and the stars were easily visible in the black sky. Serena stared out the window and into the starry night for most of the ride from the studio. It was a perfect night for stargazing, so he couldn't blame her for wanting to silently admire the star-laden heavens.

Serena had borrowed one of the dresses from her trailer for tonight. It was a stunning, white, open-backed, sleeveless dress that showed just the right amount of cleavage and had slits in the sides that came up from the ground up to just above her mid-thigh. It was a marvelous dress, but he couldn't remember seeing her wear that dress at any time during the movie. He supposed it was from one of her many other movies, but he couldn't think of which one it could be.

Actually, considering the way she looked in that dress, he was surprised he had the capacity to think at all. She was just too gorgeous to ignore as his mind ceased functioning for a few moments. Noticing the way he was looking at her, Serena merely gave him a smugly satisfied look and asked him to lead the way to his car, which finally got his brain to start working again.

During the drive to the club, Darien had mentally gone over several scenarios of when Serena would eventually meet Raye at the club. Most weren't good. Some were doable. He was still considering biting the metaphorical bullet and just telling her why he wanted her to come tonight. Sure, she might get mad. The odds were certainly leaning in that direction. Still, she was a reasonable person... most of the time. After all, he might have long forgiven the 'White Rose' drink incident, but he hadn't forgotten it. While she might have changed from the old Serena who so easily and callously threw a production assistant out on his ass, she was still quite fearsome once angered.

However, all things considered, perhaps the truth was the best path to go. She deserved that much at least. Besides, if he didn't say anything, she might get even more upset with him than if he had told her.

"Something wrong, Darien?" Serena asked as she put her coat on and closed the car door. "You have this look on your face like you're deep in thought or something."

Darien looked at her in surprise. He didn't think he was being that obvious.

"Actually, there's something I have to tell you before we go in," he admitted. "During lunch today, I happened to run into Raye."

"Oh?" Serena asked, raising an eyebrow while giving him a thin smile.

He grimaced slightly, but continued on. "She told me that she got a new job singing at a nightclub."

"Let me guess," she interrupted as she folded her arms and nodded her head toward The Silver Moon. "That one?"

"Yeah," he nodded, grimacing again.

"Is that all?"

Darien blinked and stared at her. "Huh?"

"What, you expected me to be mad or something?" she asked, raising her eyebrow again.

"Well, Raye seems to be under the impression that you think she's trying to steal me away from you," he replied and sighed. "I just want you two to get along. That's all."

Serena stared at him for what, to him, felt like an eternity. After a long silence, she finally unfolded her arms and took his right arm in hers. "Well, as long as we're here, we might as well enjoy ourselves, hm?"

"Huh?" he said, taken aback by Serena's sudden shift in mood. She was now smiling as cheerfully as she had been when he had first suggested coming to The Silver Moon.

"As long as she understands that you're mine now, then we've got nothing to worry about," she explained as she rested her head on his shoulder. "Don't you agree?"

"Well, yes," he agreed as the two started toward the nightclub.

"Good." A thoughtful pause. "Darien?"

"Yes, Serena?"

"Have you ever thought about getting a tattoo?"

The sudden change of topic almost made him miss a step. "A... tattoo?" he repeated, completely bewildered.

"I have the perfect idea of one for you," she continued with a fond smile. "You could get a heart tattoo on your right butt cheek with the words 'Property of Serena Moon' inscribed inside. What do you think?"

"Um...," Darien hemmed, trying to think of what to say.

Serena looked at his face and started laughing. "Oh, Darien, you should see the expression on your face! It's absolutely priceless!"

"Really?" he muttered as he stared off elsewhere, looking away from Serena.

"Aw, are you sulking?" she said in a sweet tone. "That's so cute. But really, did you think I was serious?"

"Of course not," he replied.

"Right," she said knowingly. "Anyway, I know that you wouldn't leave me for her, so I'm not upset."

"Are you sure?" he asked, giving her a concerned look.

"What? You don't believe me?" she asked, giving him a reproachful stare.

"I believe you, Serena," he said as he smiled fondly at her. "And you're right; I'd never leave you for Raye, or any other woman for that matter."

"Good," she said firmly. "Otherwise, I would have to make you get that tattoo."

"I'll remember that," he said with an amused laugh as the pair entered the nightclub.

"Miss Moon!" Vince exclaimed as he quickly came up to them. "And Mister Shields! Welcome back to The Silver Moon!"

"Hey, Vince," Darien said, grinning at the friendly server. "Good to see you again."

"Same table as usual, Vince, if it's not taken already," Serena requested.

"Right away, Miss Moon," he nodded and gestured for her to precede him.

"Thanks," she said gratefully. "Oh, and by the way, Vincent," she added, stressing his full name, "you might want to stop calling me 'Miss Moon' if you want me to keep calling you 'Vince.' Just a suggestion."

"Ah!" Vince said, making a show of slapping himself in the forehead. "I've forgotten yet again! I apologize."

Serena waved the matter aside. "Anyway, I hear you've finally hired a new singer."

"You've heard of her already?" he said, eyes widening slightly in surprise. "How? Today's her first day here."

"She told him," Serena explained. "She's his ex," she added, glancing momentarily toward Darien.

Vince looked over to Darien for a moment, then looked back after Darien nodded confirmation. "It is a small world, isn't it?" he said with a shrug. "Anyway, before you are seated, would you care for your usuals?"

Serena nodded, but Darien gave him a curious glance. "You remember what I ordered last time?"

"Rum and Coke, straight up, right?" he answered quickly and with some smug satisfaction.

"Um, yeah," Darien confirmed. "I'll have the usual, then."

"I'll be right back with your drinks," he said and quickly departed.

"No need to be so amazed, Darien," she said as she removed her coat and handed it to him before sitting down. "It's a common drink, after all."

"Hmm," he replied as he placed the coat next to him and sat down as well.

"So, how good of a singer is Raye, anyway?" Serena asked as she leaned forward, letting her elbows rest on the table.

"Well, she's pretty good, but I haven't heard her sing in a while," he said, shrugging one shoulder. "She usually doesn't let people hear her practice outside of rehearsals. She says it's distracting."

"I can understand that in a way," she remarked, waving a hand in a noncommittal half-shrug. "Some people need their full concentration during rehearsals." She turned her head and glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. "Not that I'm like that, you know. I'm not the type of actress that lets little things like distractions bother me."

"Of course not," he replied, trying to keep a smirk from spreading on his face. Although many people might be put off by the amount of prideful boasting Serena did, he was beginning to find it endearing.

"Here are your drinks," Vince stated as he came back with the ordered drinks. "If you need anything else, just let me know."

"Actually, do you know when Raye will be singing tonight?" Darien asked.

"Let's see," Vince said as he glanced down at his wristwatch. "Miss Hino should be performing in a few minutes from now." He glanced back up at Darien and Serena. "Looks like you both came at just the right time, then," he added with a laugh.

"Yeah, looks like," he agreed with a simple shrug.

"Well then, if you'll excuse me," Vince said as he turned to leave. "Please enjoy yourselves."

"I guess we don't have to wait long, then," Serena said as she leaned back in her seat with her drink in one hand.

A few minutes later, the bandleader concluded the current song and stepped down to the stage amidst some light applause. "Ladies and gentlemen," he said as he stepped up to the microphone stand, "tonight, we at The Silver Moon would like to introduce our newest singer. Please put your hands together for Miss Raye Hino!"

A spotlight lit up on the far side of the stage where Raye stepped out wearing a sleeveless red dress that also left her shoulders bare. The audience gave her the same light applause that the bandleader received as she approached the microphone stand. The bandleader stepped away as Raye approached, the spotlight following her as she walked across the stage.

Darien casually glanced at Serena as he lightly clapped. Her expression seemed to be normal, which was a good sign. She was even clapping as well. Perhaps he had been worrying for no reason?

As soon as Raye reached the microphone, she turned and smiled at the audience, giving them a small polite wave of appreciation.

"Thank you," she said with a wide smile as she swept her gaze over the entire audience. "Thank you very m-" She abruptly cut off in mid-sentence as she spotted Darien and Serena sitting at one of the tables over toward the mid-left. Her smile faltered for a second before returning as if it had never left.

"Thank you very much," she said again as she turned and nodded to the bandleader, who nodded back and cued the band to start playing the first song; a jazzy swing tune that Darien thought was somewhat familiar.

"She's got a nice singing voice," Serena remarked as Raye started singing.

Darien nodded. "I'm glad she's finally landed a steady gig," he said with a pleased grin. "She's had some success with small gigs at various clubs around L.A., but they never lasted very long."

"Oh?" she asked, curious. "Why's that?"

"All the places she performed at were small clubs and the like," he explained. "Places like those generally can't afford to keep a steady performer, or so she's told me."

"Ah," she said and took another sip from her drink.

* * *

As her fifth song came to an end and the audience broke into applause, Raye signaled to the bandleader that she wanted to take a break. He nodded and as the song ended, he told the band to take a break as well. Raye stepped down from the stage and walked over to Serena and Darien's table.

"You're pretty good," Serena said, nodding to her as she approached.

"Thanks, Serena," Raye said appreciatively. "I'm glad you and Darien could come tonight." She turned to Darien and gave him an amused look. "Though, I'm surprised, Darien. When I suggested you come by when you get the chance, I didn't expect it to be today of all days."

"Surprised?" he asked with a small grin.

"A little," she admitted. "Though I am really grateful. It means a lot to me to have you both here for my debut performance." She looked from him to Serena, smiling appreciatively.

"Of course," Serena said, nodding as she turned to Darien. "Say, Darien, would you be a sweetheart and go to the bar and get Raye something?"

"I can't really drink on the job," Raye interjected, but Serena shook her head.

"No, I insist. You can drink if it's non-alcoholic, right?"

"Well, if it's non-alcoholic, then I've got no problems with it," Raye agreed.

"Good," Serena said and turned back to Darien. "Well? Scoot!" she ordered, waving him away.

"Get me a virgin Strawberry Daiquiri, please," Raye requested as Darien got to his feet.

"Right, right," he said as he left for the bar. "Virgin Strawberry Daiquiri. Got it."

After Darien left, Serena waited until he was out of earshot before turning to Raye. "Have a seat."

"Should I get another chair?" Raye asked, noting that there were only two chairs there and Serena was sitting in one of them.

"Don't worry about it," she told her. "Darien can get one for himself when he comes back. Right now, we need to talk and I don't want to keep staring up at you to do it."

"I... see...," Raye said as she sat down in the seat Darien previously vacated. "This is about the fact that I used to date him, isn't it?"

The blonde actress took another drink. "I just want to make sure of a few things," she said as she put the drink down.

"I'm not going to try to steal Darien away from you if that's what you're so worried about," Raye said seriously. "We're just friends now. Really."

"Let me ask you something," Serena said as she leaned forward for emphasis. "Why did you leave Darien?"

The raven-haired singer grimaced. "I'm sure Darien has already told you why."

"I want to hear it from you," she countered. "Why did you leave him?"

Raye sighed regretfully. "I thought that he was going nowhere with his career," she admitted. "He was going from one production assistant job to another. His last acting job was almost two and a half years ago and it wasn't even a speaking part."

She stared down at the table with her head in her hands, lightly shaking her head from side to side at the memories. "It almost seemed like he wasn't even trying anymore. I was working hard to land the spots I did before this job, but at least I was trying. Darien seemed like he was just waiting for something, like a big part would someday land in his lap if he was patient. There were times when I told him to leave his agent and try to get in with a more successful agency, but he refused. He told me that he trusted his agent and had faith in her, and that I should have the same faith in him." She looked up at Serena with a sad look in her eyes. "I really should've had more faith in him."

"Well, we can't undo our past mistakes, Raye," Serena said, thinking back on her own regrets. "All we can do is move on and try not to repeat them." She gave her a stern look. "That's why I want to make sure that you're not after Darien. I'm sure you've heard about what happened with my last relationship. It was all over the entertainment news, after all."

Raye blinked. "All of that was true? I thought a lot of that was embellishment and tabloid nonsense."

"A lot of times they're more on the mark than people might think," the blonde actress sighed. "And it's a pain having your personal life broadcast during primetime. But, yes, most of what you've heard is true. That rat bastard kicked me to the curb and ran off with some red-haired slut to Europe, leaving me with a broken heart and a million people with cameras asking me what happened. Right then, I didn't even know what happened myself."

The raven-haired singer mentally grimaced. This wasn't something she had planned on. She was actually feeling sorry for her. As much as she wanted Darien back, it sounded like Serena needed him more.

'What a time for my conscience to kick in,' Raye mentally griped as she considered the brooding actress in front of her. 'What am I supposed to do now?'

"Anyway, it's hard for me to really believe that you just want to be friends, Raye," Serena finally continued. "I've been burned too badly to just blindly accept that from you."

"I understand," Raye replied. "I don't really blame you, either. But even if we're no longer an item, Darien is my friend." She frowned slightly. "Are you going to forbid him from seeing me?"

Serena was quiet for a few moments. "No," she finally replied. "I might be wary of others who might try to get between us, but I trust Darien. He won't leave me like a certain someone did. I'm sure of it."

This time, it was Raye's turn to be silent for a short time. "I'm... happy for you," she finally said.

"You don't sound too happy," Serena pointed out.

"Maybe it's because I'm feeling more regretful than happy," she replied with a sigh. "It's a shame that I'm on the job. A drink is just the thing I need right now."

"Tell me about it," Serena agreed, taking another sip of her drink. "Anyway, I've said my peace." She looked past Raye and nodded her head.

Raye glanced behind her and saw that Darien had been watching them from the bar. Had he been watching them the whole time?

"Darien apparently wants us to get along," Serena said as he headed toward them. "To be honest, even though I'm still wary of you, I don't dislike you." She leaned back in her chair and took a sip from her drink.

"Gee, thanks," Raye said dryly.

"Oh, don't be like that," she replied with a crooked grin. "After all, I'm a fan of yours."

"Huh?" the dark-haired singer said, confused at the quick change in subject.

"You're an excellent singer, Raye," she continued as she maintained her crooked grin. "I'm just glad you sing here; I'd hate to have to change my favorite nightclub."

"Are you pulling my leg?" Raye asked as Darien set her virgin daiquiri on the table and pulled up a chair, sitting between the two women.

"No, I'm serious," she replied. "I really did enjoy your singing."

"Thanks, I'm glad to hear it," Raye said as she took a look drink from the daiquiri, then glanced at her watch. "Speaking of which, my break's almost over."

"We'll hold on to your drink for you," Darien told her. "You can finish it off on your next break."

"Thanks," she said as she stood up. "You can have your seat back now, Darien."

"That's all right," he said, waving a hand in polite refusal. "I'll leave that chair open for you. I'm fine right here," he said, placing a hand on Serena's hand.

Both women noted the action and had different reactions. Serena smiled at Darien, pleased. Raye, on the other hand, kept a neutral expression.

"Well, I hope you both enjoy the next few songs," Raye said, her smile back on her face. "One of them is an original, written by me."

"You write songs, too?" Serena inquired, slightly impressed.

"Yeah," she nodded as she headed toward the stage. "Anyway, enjoy!"

"Have a nice chat?" Darien inquired as the bandleader reintroduced Raye amidst some light applause.

"More or less," she replied as she finished her drink.

"Are you still concerned about Raye?" he asked as he waved at Vince across the room, signaling him to come to their table.

"Yes, but not as much as before," she said honestly. "But that's just me being cautious. I'm hoping that things turn out all right with her; she seems like someone I could get along with pretty well."

"I hope so, too," he agreed as he finished his own drink.

* * *

"Mr. Stanton, I presume?" Jack asked as he and Diane entered the office of the president and CEO of Stanton Aeronautical.

"Speaking," Max replied, seated at his desk at the far end of the large room. "You'll forgive me if I don't get up," he added as he paged through what seemed to be a very thick report. It was easily the size of a novel. "I'm very busy, so please make it quick. What is this information you have regarding Juléi and a 'certain item' of mine?"

"First off, sir," Jack began, "We assume that you are aware that she stole a certain valuable item that you have been known to possess - the Yellow Nijizuishou crystal."

"Yes," the brown-haired president replied without looking up from his report. "And?"

"And, we assume that you have heard that she had been murdered and the crystal stolen from her as well," Diane added.

"I've heard that, too," Max replied tiredly. "Is there anything else that I already know that you want to tell me?"

"We're just curious as to why you hadn't contacted the police regarding the fact that your crystal was stolen," Jack told him. "After all, it's a very rare crystal; only six others of its kind exist in the world. The only reason the public knows that the crystal was taken from you was because police and reporters were asking you about it after the kidnapping and robbery in Washington, where in addition to another Nijizuishou crystal being the only thing that was stolen, two children were kidnapped as well."

"So, what does that have to do with me?" he inquired. "So I didn't contact police right away. Is there a law that says I have to? I'm an extremely busy man and I've got things that are more important than a pilfered crystal to worry about." He paused in reading his report long enough to glance up at the private investigator. "Besides, the crystal I had was replaced by a glass fake. That's why I didn't contact police right away; I thought it was still in my possession."

Jack and Diane exchanged glances for a moment. "There's more, Mr. Stanton," Jack said, thinking quickly. "We also have reason to believe, based on information that we've received while pursuing this person, that our culprit might be in the employ of someone who works here at Stanton Aeronautical."

Max silently closed his report, set it on the desk, and leaned forward with his elbows on the desk and his hands folded together. The lower half of his face was obscured by his folded hands. The posture was calm, but seemed subtly threatening as well. "May I ask how you've come to this conclusion?" he inquired.

"We cannot disclose all of our information," Diane replied. "What we can say is that our contact has provided us with sufficient evidence linking our man with someone in Stanton Aeronautical."

"So, I have a criminal in my organization," he said darkly. "Who?"

"That, we don't know yet," Jack told him. "We were hoping that you could provide us with some information that could help us."

He remained silent for a moment, considering. "Like what?"

"Our contact mentioned something about a location in the middle of the Mojave Desert," Diane jumped in quickly.

"We have a testing grounds in the southeastern area of the Mojave," the brown-haired president said as he reached over to the intercom on his desk and pressed a button. "Victoria."

"Yes, Mr. Stanton?" the secretary's voice came back quickly.

"Contact Kevin in R&D. Have him print out a copy of the map to the Proving Grounds and bring it to the front desk. Also, tell Marcy that I'm sending our visitors back down. They can wait for Kevin there."

"Right away, sir."

"Is there anything else you wish to speak with me about?" Max inquired as he leaned back in his chair.

Jack and Diane exchanged glances again. "Um, no, sir," Jack said, shaking his head. "That's all."

"We appreciate your cooperation with this," Diane said gratefully.

"That's all right," Max said with a pleasant smile. "I'm glad I could be of help. I'll be launching an investigation of my own soon, so I may need to contact you later regarding whatever information you are able to disclose on this matter." He reached over and activated his intercom again. "Victoria."

"Yes, Mr. Stanton?"

"We're done here," he told her. "Please escort our visitors back to the front desk. On the way, please get their contact information."

"I'll be right there."

"I'll trust that you'll cooperate with me on this," he said as he leaned back in his chair again.

"Certainly," Jack agreed.

"Good," he said as Victoria entered the room again. "I appreciate your taking the time to inform me of this matter. Good day."

"Same to you," Jack replied as he and Diane followed the secretary out of the room.

As soon as the thick double doors to his office closed, Max reached over to his phone and pressed the button that would switch his phone over to his private business line. Once he heard the dial tone return, he quickly dialed and waited for the other end to pick up.

"Jed, here."

"We've got a problem," he said coldly. "That detective and his associate came to see me a few moments ago. They're getting too close."

"I'll take care of them."

"Wait," he interrupted. "I've got a better idea. I've directed them to the Proving Grounds."

"That's where the Tomoe girl is being held, right?" Jed countered. "Tell me there's a good reason for this."

"Well, since Zed and Mel are already there, I figured that once you get over there, at least one of you three would be able to take care of this problem," he said dryly. "Is that a good enough reason for you?"

"More than good enough, Max."

"Good. I'll be expecting good news soon."

* * *

To Chapter 45

* * *

Author's Note: Man, these long delays between chapters are becoming quite annoying. I'm getting worried that it's going to start becoming the norm. I hope not as I'm getting so close to finishing this fic. I'd better make sure that the next chapter doesn't take as long to come out, since I almost forgot how this chapter was supposed to go. --; At any rate, please forgive the long wait between chapters. Next chapter: Tira and Christy make a startling discovery; Jack and Diane make plans to head into the Mojave Desert; and Mina reveals some of the results of the contract negotiations to Darien.

Disclaimer: All original materials belong to their respective owners. Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi and a bunch of big companies. No copyright infringement is intended. This story belongs to Moonsong and myself, and I would appreciate you emailing her or myself for permission before posting it anywhere else. Thank you.

Prologue Copyright © January 24, 2000 Moonsong.  
Other Chapters Copyright © August 12, 2000 Jason Ulloa.  
All Rights Reserved.  



	46. Chapter 45

Seeing Stars  
By Jason Ulloa  
Original story by Moonsong  
Continued with her permission.

Chapter 45

"Okay, I'm in," Tira said as she glanced back toward Christy, who was standing behind her, eyes glued to the monitor. "You know, you can just grab the chair from Jack's desk and bring it over here. You don't have to stand."

Christy shook her head. "I'm too anxious to sit right now," she replied.

"Suit yourself," the dark-skinned girl shrugged as she turned back to the computer and started typing away. "Now, I just need to find out some info on that satellite of theirs..."

It didn't take long for Tira to find the network's file server. Once in, she quickly started browsing through the directories.

"Maybe you should try that Communication Array Planning folder," Christy recommended. "Maybe we can find something about that last satellite in there if they haven't purged the files already."

"All right, I'll take a look," she said as she opened the folder. "Let's see... Hey! Satellite Maintenance Schedules!"

"Open it up."

"Sure," Tira nodded and opened the file. "Well, lookie here," she said, tapping near the bottom of the spreadsheet. "Looks like we have a separate page for TTLECL. Wanna bet that's 'Total Eclipse?'" She opened it up and looked over the times and dates listed. "Any of this mean anything to you, Christy?"

The police officer shook her head. "Not a clue. Wait." Her eyes glanced over the satellite listing. "They've launched the sixth satellite already?"

"That was quick," she replied as she glanced at her over her shoulder.

Christy frowned. "I know. You think that maybe since they've got their hands on the last crystal, they're stepping up their schedule?"

This time, it was Tira's turn to frown. "I hope not. I'd hate to think we're too late to make any difference."

"Same here. Let's hold onto that for now and look at something else."

"Gotcha," she replied as she saved a copy of the file to her computer. "How about the LOS Comms Test?"

Christy considered it for a moment. "Sure. Open it up."

Tira complied, opening up the file. "Same as before. Buncha words and numbers I can't make heads nor tails out of. All I can understand is 'Comm check: SAT.'"

"Let's look at something else. What else looks good?"

Tira closed the file and continued to browse through the directory. "Hey, look! Proving Ground Launch Schedules!"

"Let's see it."

"All right." Within moments, the file was open. "Looks like they've got something scheduled for a couple days from now. I think this's for that last satellite of theirs."

"So, we've only got a couple of days, huh?" Christy frowned. "I'm going to call Jack and Diane."

"I'll keep looking around and see if I can find anything else," Tira said without looking away from the monitor.

* * *

"So, what do you think?" Jack asked, leaving Stanton Aeronautical after turning in his visitor's badge.

"About Stanton?" Diane asked.

He nodded.

"I'm... not sure, really," she replied after a moment's thought. "At first, I was sure that he was involved in this somehow."

"He still could be," Jack pointed out.

"I know," she agreed, the corners of her mouth turned down in a small grimace. "Still, if he was involved, why give us what we were after so easily? At the risk of sounding cliché, this was too easy."

"You think it might be a trap?"

She shrugged. "It's possible. Still, if it was, it would be a very obvious one. I mean, a place in the middle of the desert - quite literally out in the middle of nowhere. If that doesn't scream 'trap,' then I don't know what does." She sighed, closing her eyes as her head limped slightly to the side. "But, what else do we have to go on?"

"So, we're going to drive out there and see what we can find?"

"This is the only lead we have, Jack."

The dark-haired detective nodded as he started to reach into his pocket for his cell phone. However, before he could touch it, his phone began to ring. Blinking for a moment at the timing of the call, he brought it out and thumbed the answer button, taking a moment to glance at the number of the caller. "What is it, Christy?"

"We've found something."

"Found what?"

"We think they're stepping up their schedule. Their sixth satellite's been launched already and their last one's set for launch in a couple days. Right now, Tira's trying to find the location of their Proving Grounds-"

"Don't worry about that," Jack cut in. "We've got a map to the Proving Grounds right here."

There was a short pause. "Already? Just like that?"

"Stanton was surprisingly accommodating after we talked to him," he explained. "Diane is still wary, though, and to be honest, so am I. We could be walking right into a trap and we don't have any way of knowing for sure."

"But, you're going anyway."

"Yes. Diane's resolute and I'm not about to let her go alone."

Christy sighed. "I figured as such. Well, before you two go and possibly get yourselves killed, you'll need to get prepared. I'll pick you guys up, then we'll stop by the station. One of the guys at the Armory owes me a favor."

"Thanks, Christy. I guess I'll have to owe you another one."

"Look, Jack," she said, her tone serious, "I just want you both to come back alive, all right. That's all I'll ask of you. Just come back alive."

Jack closed his eyes and smiled wanly. "Deal."

* * *

"Got a minute, Darien?" Mina asked as she walked up to him after Amy put everyone on a short break.

"Sure. What's up?" he replied as Serena joined him.

"Just wanted to give you a quick update on the negotiations," she told him with a proud smirk. "You should be grateful that you have such a talented agent representing you, you know."

"Right, right," Darien said, resisting the urge to roll his eyes.

"So? What's the story?" Serena inquired.

"Okay, I've been talking with Melvin and G.Q. since this morning and we've come to an agreement about the next movie you'll be in, provided that this movie works out as well as we're all expecting it does," she explained.

"Sequel?" Serena guessed. "Total Eclipse 2?"

"Yes and no," the blonde agent replied. "Yes, it's a sequel, but no, it's not Total Eclipse 2, although that will be its working title."

"So, Serena and I will be working together again?" Darien asked, grinning.

"Seems so," Mina nodded. "What say you, Serena? Willing to do a sequel with Darien? I only managed to get them this far because I said I would be able to talk you into going along with it."

Serena raised an eyebrow. "Oh, you did, now?" she smirked. "And where did this confidence come from?"

"Oh, come on, please?" Mina pleaded. "This part of the negotiation is riding on it!"

"You haven't considered that I might have something already lined up for after this movie?"

"Do you?"

Serena smirk deepened a little. "I might."

"Do you really have something lined up, Serena?" Darien asked, a worried frown starting to show on his face.

She dropped her smirk as she turned to Darien. "Honestly, I don't know. My agent likes to pick things out for me on her own based on what she sees as best for my career. As of late, she rarely lets me choose my own roles. I only got her to let me play Diane Silver because I told her that I felt that I was in danger of being typecast." Her smirk returned quickly. "However, I'm pretty sure I could talk her into getting me Diane's role in Total Eclipse 2. Especially if the movie does as well as Anderson thinks it will."

Mina's face took on a look of relief. "Great! I knew I could count on you! I'll go tell them that you're in. Thanks, Serena!"

"Hey, wait!" Serena called out as Mina ran off. "I hadn't agreed to anything yet..."

"You know, I think your agent sounds a lot like my agent," Darien said, considering the exasperated blonde actress. "Must be par for the course."

"Shut up, Darien," Serena growled. "Just... shut up."

* * *

"Thanks, Mike," Christy said as the lights to the Armory flickered on. "I owe you big for this."

Mike nodded and turned to regard Jack and Diane. "I don't know what you're getting into, Jack, but it sounds bad," he said as he gave them a solemn look.

"You have no idea," Jack replied as he took a few boxes of rounds for his gun as well as a couple of spare magazines.

"We'd tell you about it, but we don't have enough time," Diane added as she took a handgun similar to Jack's, as well as some ammo boxes and magazines. "Besides, I've already got enough people involved as it is." She paused as she glanced at Jack, who was giving her a concerned look in return.

"What's done is done," he told her, glancing away long enough to clear his gun's barrel. "Besides, we've come this far together. I'm not about to let you finish this without me."

Diane cleared her borrowed gun's barrel as well, then gave him a nod. "Fair enough." She glanced over at Mike and gave him a small grin. "I really appreciate this, you know. And don't worry; I'll be sure to return this when I'm done."

"You better," Mike replied, arms folded. "It'll be my ass if that gun is missing at the next monthly inventory."

"Gotcha," she nodded. "Hell, I'll even clean it for you before returning it." She then turned to Jack after grabbing a couple of holsters and tossing one to him. "You ready?"

"Good enough," he replied, catching the holster. "Let's go."

"Thanks again, Mike," Christy said as the three turned to leave.

"Sure," he nodded as he turned off the lights and followed them out.

* * *

"Christy, I need to ask you to do something," Jack said as they left the precinct and headed for his car.

"What is it, Jack?" she asked, concerned by his serious tone.

"Take care of Ti while I'm gone, will you?" he requested somberly.

"She's a grown girl, Jack," she pointed out. "She can take care of herself."

"Yes, but you know how she is. She'll try to find some way of trying to help us. She's already done more than enough as it is."

"You think that if she keeps it up, they might catch onto her?" Christy supposed.

"She's already taken a bullet that was meant for me," he told her. "I won't let her take another one."

"I understand. I'll keep an eye on her."

"Thanks, Christy," he said with an appreciative smile. He glanced over at Diane. "So, how do you suppose we get to where we need to go? My car doesn't exactly do well over desert terrain."

"Well, first thing's first," Diane said as they reached Jack's car. "We need to get to Blythe. That's the nearest city to where the Stanton Aeronautical Proving Grounds are. After that, we can figure out where to go from there."

"Hey, I have an idea," Christy said after everyone climbed into the car and Jack drove off. "I'm pretty sure you can find a place that rents off-road vehicles there. Why not just rent one and take enough gas with you to get there and get back?"

"That could work," Diane agreed. "It'll be dark by the time we get there, but we could find some place tomorrow morning, I'm sure."

"We'll have to hurry," Jack pointed out. "Exactly how many days do we have before the last satellite launch again, Christy?"

"Two."

"That's cutting it very close," Diane grimaced. "Still, we can manage as long as we don't hit any major snags."

Once they reached Jack's detective agency, he pulled up alongside the curb and parked, but left the motor running. "I'll grab your stuff from my car and toss it in your trunk," Christy said as Jack opened the trunk to his car. "You two go say your goodbyes to Tira."

"Right," Diane said as they headed inside.

"So," Tira said the moment they entered the agency, "it's time, right?"

Jack glanced toward his desk, where Tira was sitting and nodded. "Looks like it."

Tira quietly stood up from the desk and made her way around it. "Normally, I'd ask you to take me with you or let me help in some way," she said, her voice uncharacteristically quiet and serious. "But... this is different, isn't it?" She stared at Jack as he remained silent. "So, I won't ask you to take me with you." She closed the distance between them and threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. "But, you better come back! You hear me? I've already lost one dad; I won't lose another one!"

"You won't, Ti," he replied as he embraced her in turn. "I'll come back. I promise."

"You better," she retorted. "Otherwise, I'll have Dad kick your ass up in Heaven."

Jack chuckled as he let her go. Tira then turned to Diane and embraced her as well. "You watch out for him. I won't forgive you if you let him get himself killed."

"I'll make sure he comes back," Diane told her. "I promise."

"You, too, Diane," she added as she frowned at her. "You have to come back, too."

The blonde agent smirked. "Who do you think you're talking to? I'll be fine; it's this guy I've got to keep my eye on," she added, poking Jack in the shoulder.

Tira giggled as she let go of Diane and stepped back to look at both of them. "Thanks, Diane. I needed that.

"Anyway, you two go take care of what you got to take care of. I'll be waiting for you two to come back safe."

Jack and Diane nodded. "See you later, Ti," Jack said as he turned to leave.

"We'll be back, soon," Diane added with a small wave.

"Bye, Jack. Bye, Diane," Tira said, waving back. "Take care."

Outside, Christy stood by Jack's car, waiting for them. "You all set?"

"All set," he nodded.

"Good," she replied, nodding her head. "While you're gone, I'm going to get in touch with Shingo and see if he wouldn't mind helping us find out more about that place you're heading for. He's got a better setup than you've got here, anyway."

"Thanks again, Christy," Diane said as she opened the passenger door and started to climb in.

"Jack, make sure that you keep your cell on you," she told him as he climbed in as well. "I want to be able to contact you, should Shingo find something important."

Jack nodded as he shut his door and rolled down the window. "Sure. Anything else?"

"Just one last thing: Good luck. Both of you."

"Thanks," Jack and Diane replied in unison before Jack put the car in gear and drove off.

* * *

"Cut!" Amy called out loudly. "That'll do it for today! We'll be getting ready to go on location by the end of next week, so starting tomorrow, we're going to skip ahead to the rest of our interior scenes! Let's try to get them all done before we head out to the Mojave, all right?"

"So, how are we doing this on location thing?" Darien asked as he and Serena came back from where he parked the car.

"Oh, you weren't here yet when she outlined the on location stuff," she said, regarding him for a moment. "Well, basically, Van Holst had our production manager arrange to put everyone up in several hotels in Twentynine Palms for the duration of our Mojave shoot. We'll be commuting daily from there to some location out north of Joshua Tree National Park that the location scouts picked out some time ago. Transportation is supposed to be arranged for us."

"Sounds like a big hassle, doesn't it?" Tanya said as she joined them.

"It's the first time I've ever been involved in a movie to such a degree," he remarked with a thoughtful expression on his face. "Usually, I was just the guy with the single line or just another body. Either that or a lesser part of the production crew. PA jobs, mostly."

"Like your last job?"

"Don't remind me," both Darien and Serena muttered in chagrined unison.

"Sorry, sorry," she apologized with a grimace. "Well, this should be an interesting experience for you, Darien. A lot of times, we get to see some really beautiful and exotic places. I'm looking forward to it, myself."

"Well, we've got to finish our interior scenes first," Serena pointed out. "We're pretty close to the end."

"Yeah, can you imagine?" Tanya remarked. "And I've only got a couple scenes left, too."

"Oh, don't feel too bad," the blonde actress replied. "You told me the other day that you got another role lined up after you finish this one." The other actress merely shrugged in response.

"Really? What movie?" Darien inquired.

"It's a new comedy by Tommy Ritenour," she told him, an eager grin sliding across her face. "You know, the same guy that did 'Delusions of Sanity,' 'Walla Walla,' and 'Jason and Vayleen Go to Philadelphia (for Cheesesteaks).' The working title they gave me was 'Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.' It's supposed to be really off-the-wall." She clasped her hands together excitedly. "I've been waiting to do a crazy comedy like this! It's gonna be so much fun!"

"I'm happy for you," Serena said as Tanya's excited grin began to infect her, making her grin as well. "Alexis won't let me do a comedy."

Tanya's grin dropped as she huffed irritably. "I keep telling you, girl! You gotta drop that tyrant of an agent the moment your contract with her is up!"

"She's not that bad, Tanya," she rolled her eyes. The tone of her voice sounded to Darien like it was an argument that they had had several times before. "She just wants to do what she thinks is best for my career. You have to admit that she's done quite well for me."

"I know that she helped you get where you are today, but you can't let her control your career!" the dark-skinned actress shot back. "It's your career; not hers!"

Serena sighed in vexation. "Look, let's not argue about that again, all right?" she said, changing subjects. "There's talk that Van Holst, Anderson, and that lot are considering a sequel."

Tanya's eyes widened. "Already? But we haven't even finished THIS movie yet."

"They're sure it'll be another smash hit," she replied offhandedly, as if it were of no consequence. "Darien's agent is trying to finalize the deal for the second movie as we speak."

"It almost feels like this whole production's starting to take on a life of its own, doesn't it?" Tanya remarked thoughtfully. "Not that that's a bad thing or anything."

"Well, if they do start production on a sequel, do you think you might be available for it? You know, already having a role set up after this movie's over and everything."

"They won't start on the next movie for a good while, Darien," Tanya said, shaking her head and smiling. "I've got plenty of time to clear my schedule for it. I have a feeling it's something I don't wanna miss."

"I know I'm looking forward to it," Darien agreed. "But right now, I'm looking forward to going home for the day. I'll see you two tomorrow," he added with a wave as he turned to leave.

"Later, Darien," Tanya waved back.

"Yeah, see you tomorrow," Serena added, waving as well. "Look, Tanya," she said after he was out of sight, "I know you mean well, but I've been with Alexis since the beginning. So far, she hasn't tried to deny me any role I really wanted. Sure, she likes to dissuade me from roles she doesn't approve of - and a lot of times, she makes some very good points."

"Okay, okay, you trust her," Tanya interjected before she could continue. "I get it. I'll leave off. But, I still think you could do better than someone who thinks she knows you better than you do.

"Anyway, I'll see ya tomorrow, Serena," she said as she started to leave as well.

"Bye," the blonde actress replied as she watched her friend leave. It was the same argument as they've always had about her agent. Nothing new. Well, she had some good points and it wasn't like she hadn't entertained the thought of finding a better agent that would give her more leeway with her role choices. It was just that she didn't want to leave without a good enough reason and being constrictive wasn't something she considered a good enough reason. Alexis was always looking out for her career, first and foremost. If she had to be firm and keep her from making bad choices that would affect her career, then she could live with that.

"Still, a little bit more freedom would be nice," she sighed as she made her way to her car.

* * *

To Chapter 46

* * *

Author's Note: IT LIVES!! FINALLY!! Yes, I finally got around to finishing the next Seeing Stars chapter. You have no idea how hard it was to restart this after completely forgetting where I was going with this story. I had to reread a lot of my previous chapters. Man, it's amazing to see how much my writing style has changed since I first started this story. And now that I've finally reached the home stretch, I feel like I can really work on this story again with confidence. If only it were this easy with Atonement. Oh, well. I'll get a new chapter done for that story, too, eventually. Next chapter: The original plot fast-forwards into the Mojave; Tira and Shingo join forces to take on Stanton Aeronautical's Proving Grounds' network; and Jack and Diane storm the Proving Grounds.

Disclaimer: All original materials belong to their respective owners. Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi and a bunch of big companies. No copyright infringement is intended. This story belongs to Moonsong and myself, and I would appreciate you emailing her or myself for permission before posting it anywhere else. Thank you.

Prologue Copyright © January 24, 2000 Moonsong.  
Other Chapters Copyright © August 12, 2000 Jason Ulloa.  
All Rights Reserved.


	47. Chapter 46

Seeing Stars  
By Jason Ulloa  
Original story by Moonsong  
Continued with her permission.

Chapter 46

Jack slowed the vehicle to a stop as Diane pulled out the map and checked their position. As he watched her determine their location with the GPS system, he felt a bit more confident in their probability of success. It was a good thing that she asked about renting one along with the Jeep he rented.

"Okay, we're about 21 miles due south of the proving grounds," Diane concluded, looking up from the map and pointing slightly toward her right. "If we head in that direction, we should get there pretty soon."

He nodded and threw a quick glance to the back, where their gear was sitting in a large dark green bag. Inside the unzipped bag he could see the guns that they borrowed, along with their binoculars, folding knives, lockpicking tools, wire cutters, extra ammo clips, silencers, flashbangs, and their holsters. Behind the seat, there were a couple of red, plastic fuel canisters, both of them completely full. They were in a desert, after all.

"Think we should gear up, Diane?" he asked, jerking a thumb behind him.

She glanced at the bag in the back for a moment and nodded. "We're close enough. They'll probably see us coming, so we can't waste any time once we get there." She reached into the back and grabbed the bag as Jack turned the engine off. "If we're lucky, we can be in and out of there before the sun goes down." She pulled out her gun and an ammo clip from the bag and gazed down at them for a moment. "If we're really lucky, we'll have Hotaru and Ryoku with us, too."

"If they're there, right?" he asked, hearing the worry in her voice as he pulled out his own gear from the bag.

"They're there," she stated, her eyes narrowing in resolution. "They have to be." She shoved her clip into her gun with a loud click.

Jack stared at her as she pulled out the rest of her gear from the bag. From the way she was methodically performing her tasks - from attaching the silencer to her gun and placing it into the holster to arranging the rest of the loose equipment into small pouches that hung from her belt and holster - he could tell she was trying to keep her mind off the possibility that the children might not be there. There was also the possibility that even if they had been there, they could've been moved again.

The Nijizuishou trail ended here. That didn't necessarily mean that their trail would end here as well. And if they couldn't get a lead here....

"Ready, Jack?" Diane asked as she slipped her holster on over her shoulders.

Jack blinked as he was brought back to reality. "Almost," he replied, returning to his task.

She went back to her seat, but hesitated before climbing in. "...Jack?"

"Hm?" he said, pausing for a moment and glancing up at her.

She opened her mouth to speak, but hesitated again. Her gaze dropped down to the dry, arid ground at her feet as she tried to will the words to come out.

"Diane?"

The blonde agent shook her head and gave him a crooked smile. "Forget it. Now's not the time to be thinking negatively." She hopped back into the vehicle and slammed the door behind her. "Now hurry your ass up. It's hot out here and we don't got all day."

'So, that was on her mind, too,' he thought as he finished preparing and climbed into the Jeep. His eyes took on a more determined cast as the engine roared back to life and they continued their southern advance.

* * *

Jed stepped into the Surveillance Room and glanced over to where Mel was standing, studying one of the many monitors that lined the console in front of him. The guard, whose shoulder Mel was viewing the monitors over, continued to go about his business while pretending that he was still the only occupant of the room.

"You sure it's okay to let them sneak in here?" Mel asked without moving his eyes from the top center screen, which displayed an unidentified vehicle approaching the compound.

"Max's orders," Jed replied with an indifferent shrug of his shoulders. "Besides, it doesn't matter to me where I kill them, just as long as I get to kill them."

Mel glanced at him over his shoulder. "Personal?"

"They've seen my face."

The silver-haired man nodded and turned his gaze back to the monitor. It made sense. Of course, he'd want to kill anyone who could act as a witness against him.

"Besides, it does make some sense to have them come to us where we can kill them on our terms."

Mel nodded again, then tilted his head as if considering something. "Any word on what to do with our two guests?" he inquired as he gave Jed another glance over his shoulder.

Jed frowned as he gave the question some thought. Max had given him the go-ahead to use his own judgment concerning his captives. Returning them would be too much trouble, even if he wanted to use them for ransom. Besides, he didn't even need the money. He could just kill them, but they were still useful as bargaining chips. After all, those two were part of the reason the detective and that woman were after him.

"Keep an eye on them," he finally replied. "They're part of the reason our guests are here."

"Should we move them?"

"Maybe. Leave them where they are for now. I'll figure out where to move them later. Where's Zed?"

"Blondie?" Mel asked with a small hint of annoyance in his voice. "He's probably playing around with that kid again." He let out a small, annoyed sigh. "He always does it at this time if he's not working on something else. I'm surprised he hasn't killed the boy by now."

Jed's lips tightened in a barely perceptible frown. Sometimes Zed's tendency to hold a grudge went too far. With a light, irritated snort, he turned and left.

* * *

Once the Proving Grounds came into view, Jack stopped the vehicle and brought out his binoculars. Beside him, Diane did the same.

A quick scan showed that although the compound wasn't that big, it was still decently fortified for what was supposed to be a privately-owned test site. The area was surrounded by a chain-link fence that had a large coil of barbed wire on top and a security camera mounted on every corner. There were a couple sentries walking patrols, but not too many to make it impossible to sneak up to the compound.

There were many more sentries patrolling the interior of the compound, especially near three major areas. The first area was a hanger and air strip, presumably for test aircraft and the like. There were a couple of what looked like jets and fighter aircraft, probably for government contracts or something. One or two looked like experimental aircraft, or at least a type of jet that neither one of them had seen before.

The second area was a launchpad with a rocket sitting in place. More than likely, this rocket was carrying the satellite with the last Nijizuishou inside it. The rocket was supposed to launch sometime that day, and indeed, it looked like it was being prepped for launch. Small tendrils of smoke were wafting from the bottom of the rocket, a portent of things to come.

The final area was a large building that was more than likely the main control area for the entire Proving Grounds. If Hotaru and Ryoku were here, they would definitely have to be in that building. While they were in there, they could also stop the rocket's launch and recover the final Nijizuishou to boot.

"Those cameras are going to be a problem," she reported as she scanned the outside of the compound. "From the looks of things, I don't think we'll be able to get any closer without avoiding notice."

"Should we wait until dark?" Jack suggested as he put away his binoculars. "We might be able to sneak in that way."

"That might be best, but do we have that much time?" she countered as she lowered her binoculars, her lips tightening in irritation and worry. "The longer we take, the more time they'll have to prepare for us."

"What's the alternative? Guns blazing? We're not exactly equipped for that."

Diane grimaced. Their options were dwindling. "We don't have time to wait. We should stick with the original plan, but we'll have to assume they already know we're coming." She took another quick glance through her binoculars. "Fortunately, it doesn't seem like they have a lot of guards."

"This *is* supposed to be a test center and launching site for an aerospace corporation," Jack reminded her. "It'd seem pretty strange to staff the place with enough security to defend a small military base against invasion."

"You'd think so," she said as she put her binoculars away. "But, there's still more here than what you'd expect a privately-owned test site to have."

"You think the guards know what's going on?" he asked, his expression concerned. "I'd hate to think we'd have to shoot anyone who isn't involved."

Diane snorted. "Jack, Hotaru and Ryoku are in there. They're involved."

Jack said nothing as he turned and exited the vehicle, shut the door, and started for the security fence near the gate. Diane quickly did the same.

There were a few rocks and boulders to take cover behind, but there was a twenty foot gap between the closest boulder and the fence. Even if no one had seen them by now, they would be seen for certain once they tried to rush the fence. And even if they reached the fence unseen, they had to cut through it, since the ringed barbed wire on top was too big and thick to cut through with the cutters they brought with them.

The two shared a look and exchanged a grim nod. There was no other choice but to go forward.

* * *

"Sir."

"Yes, I see them," Mel acknowledged as he observed Jack and Diane rush the fence on the monitor. Once they reached the fence, the pair brought out their wire cutters and started cutting a hole in the fence.

"Hmph. Told them they should've electrified it," he grumbled as he shook his head and grabbed a radio. He started to leave but stopped before exiting the room.

"Keep an eye on them," he ordered, turning toward the guard. "Pass the word. They are not to be engaged by anyone but Jed, Blondie, and myself. Everyone else is to herd them toward the cell block. Silent alert mode.

"Once they get to the cell block, then sound the alarm. It'll be easier to take them out if they're inside trying to get out rather than outside trying to get in, especially if they have those two kids to worry about." He turned to leave again. "Keep me posted on channel 3."

"Understood," the guard replied and turned back to watching the monitor as Mel left.

* * *

Jed turned the corner and continued to stalk down the hallway toward the holding cells in search of Zed. After taking a few steps, he spotted his target coming down the hallway from the other end.

"You," he said, pointing an accusative finger at the man as he glared at him. "Where do you think you're going?"

The blonde man halted and frowned. "I'm going to check on the prisoners," he replied, staring back defensively. "It's my responsibility to keep tabs on them and make sure they don't escape."

"It's also your responsibility to make sure that our package is prepped and ready for shipping," he countered. "Is it?"

Zed's mouth tightened as he went quiet.

"I thought so," Jed continued. "Look, we've got company, so get your ass over to the control room and make sure everything's going according to plan. The last thing we need is for our guests to screw everything up."

"All right! All right!" he growled as he waved Jed off. "I'll take care of it."

"Wait," Jed interrupted before Zed could leave.

"What?" he growled, not bothering to hide his impatience.

"Keys."

With a scowl, he thrust a hand in his trouser pocket, fished out a small set of keys, and flung them at Jed, who snatched them out of the air, indifferent to the fact that the keys were headed straight for his face.

Zed's scowl deepened as he whirled and stalked off, grumbling under his breath as he went.

* * *

Hotaru figeted with the bottom corners of her uniform short as her gaze kept jumping between keeping an eye on her recovering boyfriend and watching the door. It was usually around this time that the blonde man came to "check" on them. Of course, this was just an excuse to beat on Ryoku for a couple of minutes, and then fix a cold gaze on her as if to remind her why he was doing it. She needed no reminder.

The first time he visited after their transfer to their new shared cell - which was actually one of their old cells, but with actual furnishings in it, such as a mattress for their bed (all furnishings were removed since the cells weren't being used for so long) - he brought them the old guard uniforms they now wore. The uniforms were the same size and while they were loose on Ryoku, they were way too big for her. They didn't provide any belts, so she ended up discarding the pants. It was just as well, as the shirt was so large; it went almost to her knees.

While it felt good to finally have some clothes to wear and to finally be able to see her boyfriend again, it wasn't without its price, as the silver-haired man had told them. Ever since their abortive escape attempt, the blonde man tended to visit their cell quite often and at the same time on each visit. After he brought the uniforms on his first visit, he backhanded her across the face, telling them that what they were getting was more than they deserved as prisoners. Ryoku started to leap at him to keep him from harming her further, but the blonde man had already pulled out a gun and had it leveled at her head.

From then on, it was the same routine. The blonde man would show up with gun drawn and demand that she approach him while Ryoku remained on the other side of the room. He would then strike her once, whether it was a backhand or a slap across the face or a quick punch to the stomach, then shove her toward her boyfriend. After that, he would approach Ryoku and proceed to punch and kick him until he was satisfied. Most days it was over very quickly, but there were a few where he would beat on him until he couldn't stand anymore. With the man always holding his gun pointed at her, there was nothing Ryoku could do to fight back or even defend himself.

Once again her eyes trailed back to her boyfriend, who was lying down on the small bed they both shared. The cell seemed to be designed to hold one occupant only, so they had to share everything in it. There was a lot of embarrassment the first few days, but they had quickly overcome that out of necessity.

Ryoku had a lot of bruising all over his body and a little bit on his face as well. Most of it was concealed by the uniform he wore, but she knew it was there. He slept a lot as of late, mostly to help his body recover after particularly severe punishment. She noted - and with some private jealousy - that he recovered quickly. It took her much longer to recover from lesser treatment.

It was nearing the time of the blonde man's usual visit. Of course, there was the off chance that today would be one of the days when he was too busy, but those days weren't that often.

Echoing footsteps down the hall made her breath catch in her throat, as it always did. The familiar feeling of futility bubbled up in her mind, as it always did. She sat down on the side of the bed and gently shook him awake. Ryoku's eyes opened and met hers with a silent question, to which she nodded confirmation.

Ryoku sat up slowly and turned to look at her. His eyes seemed very weary, but still held the same determined gleam that always helped her gather her courage. She had to keep believing that they would eventually be rescued. All of their suffering would not be for nothing. Besides each other, it was all they had left to cling to.

Hotaru reached for his hand and squeezed it as the usual clicking and clanking of the key entering the lock and the tumblers falling into place seemed louder than it should be. It thundered ominously as the door slowly opened to reveal... a different blonde man? She felt Ryoku stiffen beside her, obviously just as surprised and confused as her.

The other blonde man looked at them, shook his head and sighed, seemingly to himself. "That idiot needs to learn some self-control," he muttered under his breath and gave them a second, more scrutinizing look. He nodded toward Ryoku. "Can he stand up and walk?" he inquired as he directed his gaze toward her.

"Y-Yes, he can," she replied, unsure of where this was going. Hopefully, not to another beating. Or worse.

The other blonde man nodded as he regarded them thoughtfully for a moment. "You two will come with me. Try to run and I'll kill you both without hesitation." He patted a closed holster at his hip for emphasis. "Understand?"

"Yes," she replied. Beside her, Ryoku just nodded his agreement.

"Good," the other blonde man nodded as he turned to leave. "Now, get up and get moving." He stepped outside the door and turned back to them, waiting for them to follow. Without a word, the two both stood up and exited the cell. The other blonde man gestured for them to start walking down the hallway, which they did, with him following close behind them and directing their path.

Where that path might lead, Hotaru didn't want to think about.

* * *

To Chapter 47

* * *

Author's Note: Okay, yeah, over a year. Sorry. I am juggling several stories and real life, so you'll have to cut me a little slack. Hope you don't mind. Anyway, real life decided to kick me in the nuts at the beginning of the year, so I've been a little slow at getting back into the writing spirit. Especially when it concerns this story. Now, it's a good story and all, but I'm just not as into it as I used to be. I feel as though I've an obligation to myself to see it through to the end, though, as it is my sophomore story, as well as being over a decade old. It's nearly done, though; just about two or three chapters left. Personally, I'd be amazed if people were still reading this since the beginning, when I first started this story. It's a nice thought, although I kinda doubt it. Oh, well. I'm going to try and get the next chapter out earlier than next year. Really. Next chapter: The escape and the beginning of the final confrontation.

Disclaimer: All original materials belong to their respective owners. Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi and a bunch of big companies. No copyright infringement is intended. This story belongs to Moonsong and myself, and I would appreciate you emailing her or myself for permission before posting it anywhere else. Thank you.

Prologue Copyright © January 24, 2000 Moonsong.  
Other Chapters Copyright © August 12, 2000 Jason Ulloa.  
All Rights Reserved.


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